Heartbeats

Magnolia May nearly ripped the barn door off its hinges in her hurry to get inside. She'd been bucking apples out in the West orchard, when black, angry thunderclouds had suddenly blotted out the sky. It'd taken some truly herculean galloping, but she'd made it to shelter without so much as a drop of water mussing up her mane. She quietly shut the barn door with a sigh. The barn may have been dark, dingy, and certainly not the most pleasant-smelling, but it beat getting caught in a storm. She was safe.
 

Something brushed her shoulder.


Magnolia let out an unholy shriek and reared up, immediately snatching the closest object in her magic. It so happened to be a broom, and she brought it down on the intruder's head with a wallop that would've made her Mama Applejack proud. Ruthlessly, Magnolia attacked, striking the would-be-intruder again and again, and throwing in some cusswords for good measure.

"Take that! And that, and some of that! I'll show you to squat in my family's barn, you low-down, no-good, lowlife son of a-"


"Oof-! Stop, stop! Magnolia, it's-ack-it's me, Pandora! Stop!"


Magnolia paused in her clobbering, squinting into the darkness. Two wide, cat-like eyes stared back at her-and Magnolia slowly made out the familiar form of a teenaged draconequus, lying browbeaten and cowering at Magnolia's hooves. Magnolia stepped away, but did not drop her broom. Instead she clutched it tighter, narrowing her eyes.

"Now what the hay are you doin' in here? Sweet Apple Acres is private property, I'll have you know." Magnolia sniffed. "You'd best have a damn good reason for sneakin' around here like a weasel in a chicken coop."

Pandora stood to her feet, shaking herself. Magnolia took a wary step backward. "I wasn't sneaking." Pan glared. "I just came by to chat with Penelope and Geraldine-"

Magnolia's muzzle crinkled in confusion. "...The chickens?"

"-When I caught wind of a storm coming. The barn was the first place I thought to teleport to." Pan glanced down at her paws, suddenly sheepish.

"Likely story." Magnolia scoffed. "First off, what were you doin' messin' with our chickens in the first place? I swear, if you've been...fusin' our animals together into those hideous amalgamation-type monsters again, I swear I'll-"

"Easy!" Pan snapped, indignant. "I haven't done that since I was seven!"

"As far as anypony knows!" Magnolia hurled back, brandishing her broom. "I had nightmares, you witch! I'd dream that you used your freaky magic to melt my mamas together, or give me the head of a pig, or-"

"I've already said I was sorry!" Pandora growled, showing wicked fangs. "I didn't know it was painful for the animals-I wouldn't ever hurt anybody on purpose-"

"And furthermore, how do you expect me to believe you're in here hidin' from a thunderstorm, of all things? I've seen what you can do with your magic-you could snap your claws and turn the rain into butterflies, or the lightning into lemon juice, or-"

Thunder suddenly boomed outside, shaking the walls of the barn. Pan let out a terrified squeal and dove for cover, burrowing herself in a hayloft so neatly that only her trembling rump poked out. By the time she calmed her hammering heart, her ears caught the ring of Magnolia's cackle.

"....You're afraid!" Magnolia laughed gleefully, wiping at her eyes. "Wait'll everypony gets an earful of that! Ponyville's resident demigod n' a half, scared stiff of a little thunder!"

Pandora's cheeks burned, and she poked her head out of the hay pile. "Ponyville won't hear anything if I permanently zip your stupid little lip shut." She growled, trying to look intimidating, but Magnolia only snickered at her, and Pan realized that in her frightened dive for cover, she'd gotten an empty milk bucket stuck on her head.

"Ha. You ain't so scary." Magnolia teased. "I always suspected you might be kind of a doofus, but I didn't wanna get get close enough to find out."

Pan shook her head wildly, trying to free herself of the bucket. "I am not a doofus." She snarled. "I'm a princess. You will show me proper respect, mortal." She tried to rear up to show the stupid, tiny pony her superior power and beauty, but her hoof stepped on the flat end of a fallen rake, and the handle whipped up to strike her on the rear. She yelped, twisting round to nurse the sore spot on her butt.

"....Well, you'll have to excuse me then, Princess." Magnolia gave a mocking little bow. "Tell ya what, yer majesty, I'll do you the honor of lettin' your scraggly rump squat in my barn til the storm's over. Mama Apple didn't raise me to be inhospitable, after all. I'll even let you get the half of the barn without the manure pile, so long as you stay on your side."

"Fine by me." Pan lifted her head, haughty-then quirked an eyebrow when she noticed Magnolia bedding down in a pile of hay. "...What are you doing?"

"What's it look like?" Magnolia shot Pan a sour look that broke into a yawn. "Some of us mortals have chores, yer highness. I've been apple-buckin' since sun-up. I'm goin' to bed. Goodnight."

"What?" Pan bleated, rocketing to her feet. "Bed? You don't mean you intend to sleep in here-you can't be saying this storm is gonna last all night!"


"'Fraid so, by the look of it." Magnolia grumbled. "Like I said, goodnight."


She laid her head down on her hooves, closing her eyes. Three whole, blessed seconds of silence passed, before Magnolia's ear flicked at the sound of a whimper.


She cracked open an eye. Another rumble of thunder crashed through the air, and Pandora curled desperately in on herself, trying to make herself small. She fixed Magnolia with arguably the most pathetic face in all Equestria, lower lip wobbling-and in that moment, she looked less like an enormous, cunning predator, and more like a frightened kitten. 

"....Urgh." Magnolia groaned, resigning herself to her fate. "...I guess you can sit by me, if it'll stop that puppy-dog whinin'-"

She had hardly finished her sentence before Pandora teleported in a flash of light, reappearing instantly at Magnolia's side in a sudden, completed uninvited breach of personal space. Magnolia startled and made to shoo her away, but Pan shuffled even closer, moving to boldly rest her head across Magnolia's front hooves. "...When I get scared, Cupcake always brushes my mane and tells me a funny story." 

"I ain't Cupcake." Magnolia scowled, shoving the draconequus away a healthy distance. Pan's eyes narrowed, shooting the unicorn a look of affronted displeasure, like a house cat that'd been denied being petted. An awkward pause fell between the pair, the barn silent, save for the rain battering the roof.


"Uh...." Magnolia frowned, examining her hooves. Was she supposed to make small-talk? What kind of idle chitchat could one have with a she-monster?


 "So....what's it like being a princess?"


Pan's face became guarded. "It's immensely gratifying. The ponies of Equestria look to me as a pillar of strength and leadership, and their happiness and prosperity is all I desire." Her voice sounded oddly robotic, as though she was repeating something long-since memorized. "Who could ever ask for anything more?"


Magnolia quirked an eyebrow. "I dunno. You tryin' to convince me, or yourself?"

"I'm....." Pandora trailed off, glancing down to her paws. "....I don't know. I'm not really a princess-not yet, anyway." She quickly added. "Right now, I'm royalty in title only, by virtue of my birth. Being crowned as a real princess takes years of study, discipline, and service to Equestria....with added overtime if you want to ascend to becoming an alicorn." Her muzzle scrunched in thought. "...At least that's what I've been told."

"Ah." Magnolia smirked. "So you go bossin' ponies around and tryin' to make em respect you, but really you've got no more royal clout than my family's pet hog." She felt a dull victory at the way Pandora fluffed up with indignation. "Bet you're making your Ma real proud, shug."

For the briefest flash, Pandora's muzzle twisted into a snarl-but then just as suddenly, she seemed to deflate, her shoulders slumping. "....I know I'm not." She said quietly. She tried to glare, but the light had gone out of her eyes. "Everypony expects me to be like her. Brilliant, composed, beautiful, a prodigy at magic....but I'm not really any of those things. I got a D on my last algebra test....and last week I accidentally exploded a school toilet when I tried to hold back a sneeze."

"Uh...." Magnolia blinked, caught off guard by Pan's sudden shift in demeanor. For once, the draconequus didn't look smarmy and deranged....right now, she just looked small. Vulnerable. "Er....did ya study for that algebra test?"

Pandora laughed at that, surprising the unicorn. "I guess I didn't." She looked to Magnolia. "But can you blame me? I'm a creature of chaos. Math gives me anxiety, and anxiety gives me gas."

Magnolia snorted a laugh. "That's disgustin', sugarcube." But she was smiling, just a little. "....Anxiety ain't nothin' to be afraid of." She cleared her throat. "....Maybe I can relate a little to feelin' like you don't measure up-I mean sure, your mama might be a princess, but both of my parents are elements of harmony. Both of em are honest-to-Celestia heroes of Equestria." Magnolia's voice dropped to a mumble. "Ponies look at me and expect me to be this amazing, perfect blend of Generosity and Honesty. But the fact of the matter is, well....Mama Jackie is strong and dedicated and tough as grits, but I...ain't. Not like her. And my other mother is Rarity, but I'm nowhere near as creative, or generous, or beautiful-"

"Oh, enough. Cram it with the pity party already." Pandora rolled her eyes. Magnolia gawked at her, shocked to find that she was actually hurt by the draconequus' dismissal. She grasped for a suitable verbal counter-attack, but Pan continued. "You're the prettiest unicorn in our year, Magnolia."


"Huh?" Magnolia had been truly caught off guard now, and her mouth opened and closed like a fish. "I....you think so?"


"Well, yeah-" Pandora seemed oddly embarrassed, and she shuffled her paws, now determined to look anywhere but at Magnolia. "....I mean, any idiot with eyes can see that."


Magnolia swallowed. "Well....thank you kindly." She played with her hair, a little self-consciously. "But...you ain't seen the girls that attend Madame Spoiled Rich's etiquette classes. I don't stand a snowball's chance in hell of competin' with them-They've got gorgeous, expensive mane-styles and flawless pelts, plus all the manners and grace that come with bein' real-deal Canterlot high-society fillies." She let out a sad little laugh. "You shoulda heard em laugh when I offered to play the banjo at their upcomin' country club concert. Even Madame Rich snickered a little. Never felt like such a dumb hillbilly in all my life."


"I happen to like the banjo." Pandora tried for an encouraging smile. "The notes always sound so delightfully noisy and loose and free. Chaos in musical form-I love it!"


"Thanks, but the approval of a big mischief-lovin' weirdo don't mean much in this case." Magnolia sighed, before the corner of her mouth quirked. "....No offense."


"None taken." Pan grinned. "But don't forget, I am a princess, even if only by technicality. Thus I outrank all your snobby etiquette class friends, and my opinion is correct by default."


"Oh of course, your highness, I nearly forgot." Magnolia chuckled warmly. "....Y'know, you're lookin' like a real princess more and more these days, with all that pretty long hair."

"You really think so?" A new sparkle shone bright in Pandora's eyes, and her cheeks went a little pink. "I'm so glad you noticed, dearie. I've been putting in more effort to be girly, and frankly it's exhausting. I don't know how you do it! I.....I felt like I looked so boyish and scruffy-looking before that nopony really noticed me. I never really felt pretty, you know? And I certainly never caught any colts looking at me the way they look at you, dearie." She waggled her eyebrows playfully.

"Believe me, you do not want attention from colts our age, shug. Bunch of crass meatheads, all of em." Magnolia rolled her eyes. "You're not thinkin' about things the right way. Everypony is beautiful in their own unique way, darlin'. Even the aforementioned meatheads." Magnolia placed a gentle hoof atop Pan's paw. "You are pretty. You're not a mare, but you've got such pretty eyes-and with such long, full lashes framing them-and of course you have that slinky figure, and such a lovely smile, when you're not plotting anything malicious-"

Pandora had turned a deep crimson, and the fur along her neck and chest fluffed up. "Um, g-golly-" She stammered. "I-I think you're pretty too, Magnolia-well, I mean of course you already know that, I said it already, haha,-b-but, uh....y-you've got pretty eyes too, and I really like your freckles, and you always look so strong when you buck apples-"


"-When I buck apples?" Magnolia said sharply, eyes narrowing. "Have you been watching me work, varmint?"


Pandora's eyes went round as dinner plates, caught. "No! I mean, yes-b-but I promise it's not weird! I watch everyone! I-...oh god, that sounds even creepier, doesn't it." She seized both her ears in her paws and tugged them, letting out a whine. "It's not just you, I promise! I r-really do come here to talk to the chickens, but sometimes I catch sight of you out doing your chores, and I don't mean to spy, but y-you're more interesting than the chickens-"


"Uh-huh." An idea came to Magnolia, and a sly, smug smile slid onto her face. She sidled up to Pan, fluttering her eyelashes. "Why Pandora Eris Sparkle....have you got a crush on lil ol' me?"

Pandora went beet red, from her cheeks to the tips of her ears, and she nearly stumbled over herself trying to stammer out a denial. "W-What? Of course not! How dare you even suggest-!" She protested, but Magnolia had lost herself to wild, gleeful cackling.

"I am a phenomenally powerful cosmic being!" Pandora desperately tried to inject her voice with an intimidating, omniscient echo, but instead her voice broke like a teenaged colt's, becoming a near-squeak. "I command you to cease laughing at me this instant!"


Magnolia muffled the last of her giggles behind her hoof. "Easy, darlin, I'm only havin' a bit of fun. I didn't mean any harm." And she smiled at Pandora, warm and kind. "Relax."


"...Okay." Pandora swallowed. A strange feeling fluttered through her stomach at the sight of Magnolia's smile. Silence fell between the pair again, and Pandora lost herself in her thoughts.




"....Hey, Magnolia?"



"Yes, your highness?"



Pandora fiddled nervously with her paws. "....What if I did?"


Magnolia lifted a trim eyebrow. "What if you did what, shug?"


Pandora drew in a deep breath, fumbling for courage. Finally, with great effort, she met Magnolia's gaze. "....What if I did maybe...like you that way?"


Normally, Magnolia would have fired a snarky remark, but Pan's eyes were so earnest that Magnolia felt the words fizzle away on her tongue. "....Oh." She looked down to her hooves. "W-well, if you did....I suppose that we would maybe, uh....do something about it."


Something new and nervous had settled into the air. Magnolia forced her eyes up, and found that Pandora suddenly seemed much closer than she'd been a moment ago. Close enough now that they could feel the warmth of each others breath...nearly feel the crash of each others heartbeats.


Pandora spoke, breaking the spell. "Magnolia, um....I....may I kiss you?"


Magnolia burst into a fit of giggles. "Goodness, what a formal request!" She teased. "Landsakes, I truly was mistaken about you, shug. You're adorable, darlin'. So polite." Pandora pouted at that, and it made Magnolia smile.


"...Yeah, princess...you may."


Pandora dipped her head down, at the same moment Magnolia leaned up, closing her eyes. Their lips met-but only for a moment, in the teeniest, shyest peck Magnolia had ever received in her life.


"What the hay was that?" Magnolia puffed out her cheeks, honestly offended. "You call that a kiss?"


"S-Shut up!" Pandora squawked, indignant. "I-I've only ever kissed my pillow!"


"It shows." Magnolia rolled her eyes. "Celestia above. Princess, if you're gonna lay one on me, then damn it, lay one on me."


Never one to back down from a challenge, Pandora let out a snort of irritation. She stretched and cracked her knuckles, then clasped Magnolia's face in her paws, glaring. She leaned down, eyes falling shut, and they met again in a kiss. It was clumsy at first, but quickly melted into something warm and wonderful, and they lost themselves in it. Magnolia's hooves wrapped around Pan's neck, and their one kiss blended into a long series of kisses-such that they were both panting when they finally broke apart.


"Uh." Pandora was looking down at Magnolia with pure awe. "Wow."


"Yeah." Magnolia laughed softly, stroking Pandora's cheek. "....Wow."


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




edit: now with dialogue~

hoping to flesh out Pandora (and Magnolia), by exploring pieces of their past. This is the first of a little two-part mini-arc exploring the past relationship between these two, and it's lasting consequences in the story's present.


Feelings seem so new and intense when a girl experiences her first love.....




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