Author's Notes:

Note: This short contains mild spoilers for Psychosynthesis.

"Thanks again for going into my mindscape to wake me up from my magically induced coma, everyone!" Pinkie smiled and waved as the group filed out of the house.

"Don't mention it," Rainbow replied. "Ever."

"I'm gonna be wakin' up in tha middle of tha night fer weeks," Applejack muttered.

Pinkie laughed awkwardly. "Yeah... sorry."

"It's not your fault, darling." Rarity patted her shoulder. "It's all that beastly girl's doing, and your sisters are already ensuring she understands why what she did is wrong."

"Honestly, the magical chain of events leading up to the situation is extremely interesting from a scientific viewpoint—" Twilight held up a hand, preemptively cutting Luna off. "Yes, yes, I know it was unethical, I'm speaking primarily from a scientific standpoint."

Fluttershy glanced back inside the house, spotting another pink-skinned girl, and rapidly pushed Luna and Twilight down the driveway. "I just remembered I need to talk to you two about something very important somewhere very far from here!"

Rarity chuckled, patting Pinkie's shoulder before she followed them. "Good luck."

"Uh... thanks?" Pinkie looked around. "Good luck with what?"

Ruby Rose took a deep breath, walking up to her carefully. "Soooooooo. Pinkie Pie. While we were in your mindscape, I may have... possibly... had a conversation with the manifestation of your romantic and sexual desires."

Pinkie blinked.

"...oh."

"Yeah."

"Um."

"So..."

"Well..."

"...yep."

"Cheese."

Ruby snorted. "Okay, yeah, monosyllabic conversation doesn't do either of us any favors. So..."

"...Ruby." Pinkie took her hands gently. "I... respect you, you know that? I know you've got a very important job, and a lot of family drama and... and your life is already chaotic. And you're asexual and I'm... not... but I'm not going to make any demands that--"

"Pinkie." Ruby took a breath. "Pinkie," she tried again, "I... honestly, I don't know whether or not I want... this."

"You... don't know."

"No, I... might? I know I care a lot about you, I just don't know if it's... that way." She took another breath, holding Pinkie's hands more firmly. "But... the way that my sister explained things, dating isn't exactly saying 'I love you.' It's... figuring out if you can say that. If you do love somebody. And if they love you. Together."

Pinkie's eyes widened. "You... you mean...?"

"...I've never actually dated anybody before," Ruby admitted. "And I'm not sure how we'd make it different from just hanging out like we do, but... I'm willing to try, you know?"

There were many smiles Pinkie could make, more even than the standard smiles of an ordinary person. This one, though, this was softer then most, and highlighted by the happy tears welling in her eyes. "Yeah... I know. Thank you, Ruby, I just—"

"Saturday," Ruby said firmly. "I'll make... some sort of plan. And probably wear a disguise because, you know, pope."

"Will you wear a mustache?"

Ruby snorted. "Yes," she decided. "Yes, I will most definitely wear a mustache to our first date. And have a hilarious accent."

Pinkie's smile grew impossibly. "You are the best girlfriend I could ever ask for."