"Sister, we must at least consider the possibility that the Changelings are not entirely evil." Luna appealed. She honestly felt unsettled. The issue of the Changelings and Cadence was beginning to drive a wedge between her and Celestia, and she didn't like it one bit.
Luna had always considered her and Celestia's bedchambers a place of calmness and solace. Their own escape from their duties, away from prying eyes, judgmental officials, and arduous responsibilities. Smaller meetings were sometimes held in the lower part of the room, where their office resided, but once they ascended the ornate winding staircase at the center, everything faded away beneath them. It was amazingly quiet, and the only place in the castle where they could truly relax. But now, the air in the room felt uncomfortable. This was the first time that the Royal Sisters had argued or fought since the Summer Sun Celebration. Luna's elder sister stood up and walked over to her.
"No." Celestia stated with finality. "The Royal House does not negotiate with enemies. There will not be a hearing."
"But what if you're wrong, sister?" Luna pressed. Her elder sighed, looking down at her wearily.
"Luna, I saw you engage in a lengthy dialogue while you were supposed to be escorting Mi Amore Cadenza and the Changeling beast. What surprises me is that you let them speak to the Elements of Harmony. What were you thinking, Luna?? This is a delicate issue that needs to be kept under wraps, and you allowed them to meet?! What if a threat arises? What happens when the Changelings take advantage of our complacency and launch an attack? If my subjects accept the Queen she could very well be powerful enough to oppose me once more! I cannot protect my subjects with that thing on the loose. And what of the Elements of Harmony? What if this issue divides them? They cannot utilize the power of their artifacts if they're arguing and picking sides." Celestia sighed, rubbing her temple with a hoof.
"I-I'm sorry 'Tia... I didn't realize." Luna mumbled, looking up at her elder sister with sad eyes.
"I'm sorry too Luna. I don't mean to yell at you." Celestia said, nuzzling her little sister affectionately. She turned to look out her window, sighing.
After a few seconds, she spoke. "This is what Changelings do, Luna. This is why they are dangerous. They masquerade as something they are not, something false. They work their way in, pit us against each other, and strike when we are at our weakest." Celestia turned to look at her little sister.
"Cadence's demonstration in the ballroom seemed fairly benign, didn't it? Everypony was surprised by how nonthreatening the Changelings were. You cannot trust them Luna. Changelings are infiltrators, not warriors. They fight not with brute force, but subterfuge." Luna looked at her, thinking.
"So you're saying that it was a trick? What about Cadence? The Captain said that she had not been brainwashed. What could possibly compel her to help the Changelings?" Luna asked, shifting her hooves edgily.
Celestia bit her lip. "I don't know Luna. I just don't know. I had hoped that she had simply been forced, but..." She trailed off, hanging her head sadly. Luna nuzzled her.
"Do not worry sister. Cadence had not abandoned us, and there is more to this situation than we currently know. I am sure of it." She stated, smiling up at her Sun sister reassuringly.
Luna cleared her throat before continuing. "I vouch for the Changelings for this very reason. Circumstances are too contrived. This is all too soon, too sudden." She grinned. "There is sleuthing to be done, 'Tia! We must boldly go forth and find the truth!" She exclaimed, striking a pose playfully.
Celestia frowned unhappily. Luna walked over and smiled at her coaxingly, wiggling her eyebrows. A small smile slowly graced Celestia's lips, and she chuckled.
"Ha-ha!" The Moon pony cried triumphantly. Celestia slung a wing over her back and hugged her.
"Thank you Luna. All of this is beginning to give me a headache."
Luna smiled and placed a hoof on Celestia's shoulder. "Executing them will get us nowhere 'Tia." She said softly.
Celestia smiled wryly, looking away.
"Luna, I let that thing walk around under our noses for an entire week while one of our own was left to rot underneath the city. The Queen overpowered me in front of my own subjects, and the entire city was at stake as a result. If not for the fortitude and tenacity of Twilight Sparkle, we might not have had such a favorable outcome. I'm not going to make the same mistake twice. They would simply return if I banished them. What would you have me do?"
"I maintain that we need to look deeper before taking action." The Moon pony said, tapping her chin with a hoof. "I'm assuming that Cadence has a very good reason for doing all of this, and we must find out what that reason is. She is no fool." Celestia pawed at the floor, gazing down at her sister worriedly.
"Luna, what are we going to do about little Amore? I cannot bring myself to believe that Cadence of all ponies has committed treason. Cadence, Luna. I can understand her helping those in need, it's her very nature to do so, but she brought the Changelings back not a week after the invasion. She deliberately drugged us. She had us all captured, then spoke out against us in front of the entire Royal Guard!" The Sun pony sighed again, rubbing her temple slowly.
"And what of her accusations of xenophobia?" Luna asked. "Sister, you know how gossip can spread. Some ponies will believe anything you tell them. We must-"
"No." Celestia said slowly. "No, attempting to withhold it will only draw unwanted attention. I can only hope that my subjects have faith in me, and dismiss these accusations as the fabrication that they are."
"So you will simply do nothing?" Luna asked, tilting her head quizzically. Celestia's eyes widened, and a small smile formed on her lips.
"Yes... do nothing." She mused.
Celestia looked down at her sister with a twinkle in her eye. "Princess Luna. We both rule over the land and its denizens, but government affairs and diplomatic responsibilities are solely my responsibility. In the past, you have requested that we share these responsibilities, ruling as true equals. I am prepared to give you a chance to prove yourself." She stated. Luna gasped, her wings flaring.
"You... you mean...?"
"Yes. There has not been an execution under my rule for over one thousand years. In dealing with the Changelings, I would be forced to revisit places that I would very much prefer to keep in the past. I'm granting you full power so that you may deal with this issue as you see fit. I am old and set in my ways Luna. Perhaps your kind touch is exactly what is needed to lead us through this ordeal." Celestia smiled as her little sister thrust a hoof into the air.
"Huzzah! Thank you so much, 'Tia!" Luna squealed, rushing over and grabbing Celestia in a giant hug. She laughed gleefully, hopping up and down.
"I shall prove to you and everypony else that I am..." The Moon pony paused, blinking a few times. She slowly let go of her sister, stood up straight, and evened her voice.
"I shall prove that I am worthy of my title, Celestia." She stated with determination, fighting back her sheepish grin. Celestia smiled back warmly, chuckling.
"I'm certain that you'll do me proud, little sister." She said, beaming.
--------------------------------
Far below, in the dungeon, Cadence stood up suddenly.
"What am I doing?!" she asked herself, exasperated.
"What?" Chrysalis asked. The alicorn turned to her.
"All of this. It's crazy! I'm in the dungeon, Chrysalis. A week ago we were enemies, and I was getting married. Now I'm locked in the dungeon with... with you!" Chrysalis didn't know how to respond to this.
"And now I'm being charged with treason. Look at what's happened, Chrysalis! I'm going to be exiled, all because of you! I have to get out of here!" Cadence cried frantically, rushing over to the bars.
"Me?! Where is this coming from? I've done nothing!" The Changeling Queen shouted indignantly.
"Oh you did everything!" Cadence shouted back, breathing hard. "You had to invade Canterlot and be driven out, didn't you? You just had to turn up in the exact same place as me! You had to make me pity you and help-"
"PITY ME!?" Chrysalis roared. "YOU PITY ME!?" Cadence shrunk back from the tall form before her.
"Well... yeah." She said. The Queen was glaring down at her with more ferocity than Cadence had ever seen.
"Don't do that." Chrysalis raged. "Don't ever do that! I thought we were friends. I thought you saw me as an equal, but I was wrong, wasn't I? I'm just a poor little forest creature to you, aren't I?"
"What?! Chrysalis no! That's not true at all! I saw a different side of you! I saw that you're worth helping! I am your friend."
"Worth helping." The Changeling spat. Despite her anger, the alicorn noticed a brief flicker of grief cross her features. "You decided that did you? You decided to let my species survive on your whim?"
"My whim? I never said that it was like that." Cadence protested. "I wanted to help you, and I just had the right connections to give you a chance. You're not evil, Chrysalis. That's why I'm your friend."
Chrysalis grabbed Cadence's chin with a hoof, and pulled her in close. The fire in her eyes flared, and she growled at the alicorn savagely.
"I don't want your pity."
Cadence's hooves skittered on the hard floor as Chrysalis shoved her back roughly then turned away, seething. Cadence gazed up at her perplexedly. She couldn't take it anymore. Her body sunk to the floor, and she cried. Countless angry faces tormented her mind as she sobbed into her forelegs, overwhelmed by grief and rejection. The Changeling Queen glanced back. She was furious. She wanted to be angry, but felt her rage slowly ebb away as she watched the stricken mare before her.
"Stop that." She snapped. Cadence looked up slowly.
"Huh?"
"Stop crying!" Chrysalis growled. The devastated look on the alicorn's face made her uncomfortable. The pout, the misty quivering eyes, the droopy ears, it had to stop.
Cadence sniffled. "Why?" Chrysalis fidgeted, trying her best to glare angrily.
"Because... it's annoying. Stop it."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize, just stop crying!" Chrysalis shouted. She had to stifle a cry of surprise when Cadence got up and hugged her. She tried to pull away, but the pink mare held her tightly, crying into her chest.
"I'm sorry." Cadence whispered, her voice wavering. "I'm sorry that this happened. I'm sorry that I tried to help you. I'm sorry that I failed to help you, and for what happened to you. I don't know what to be sorry for. I don't know what I'm doing, nothing is okay anymore..."
This was certainly new. Chrysalis looked around desperately for... something. There was no way out though. She stared down at the mare wrapped around her, then raised her hoof. She curled it around Cadence's back slowly, pausing. This just felt weird. She repeated the action with her other hoof, and squeezed gently.
Chrysalis looked down when she heard Cadence whimper gratefully. It took her a second to realize that she was smiling. She quickly wiped the expression off her face, but felt it persist, returning slowly.
Chrysalis had to admit that this was nice in a strange way. Cadence's body felt soft, fuzzy and warm in her forelegs. She took a deep breath and pulled Cadence in closer, then reached down and rested her head on a pink shoulder. She rubbed up and down Cadence's back, feeling the bumps and contours curiously. They stayed like that until Cadence's sobs faded away.
Cadence eased herself out of Chrysalis's embrace, sitting back. She looked up at the Changeling, wiping away her tears. Chrysalis gazed back at her. They smiled.
--------------------------------
Shining Armor's hooves clopped noisily as he galloped into the library. His eyes scanned the room quickly, searching for his little sister. The first place he had looked was her room at the castle, but both she and Rainbow Dash were absent. Her four friends had explained to him that she had run off, and Rainbow had gone to look for her. If he hadn't been rushing he would have stopped to enjoy the rich aroma of oak, and the familiar smell of books. Being related to a bookworm meant that he had spent a lot of time in this library, and he had grown quite fond of it.
"Please be here..." he muttered to himself.
There was no sign of her. She wasn't sitting at any of the tables, and he couldn't find her in any of the aisles. Maybe... There was one place left: a secluded corner that she had run to countless times in her fillyhood when upset. Shining Armor cantered into the deepest depths of the archives, stopping at the final corner. Sure enough, a wall of stacked books had been constructed. He smiled.
"Twilight." A mare's head poked out from behind the wall, looking up at him inquisitively.
"Oh! Hi Shining Armor!" She chirped. The elder unicorn looked down at her sternly.
"I was told that you'd run off Twily. I was worried about you, are you okay?"
"Me? Oh yes, I'm fine! I just had a sudden urge to do some reading, that's all." She explained quickly.
"Uh huh. And you hid in your old safe corner because..."
"I didn't want to be disturbed?" She offered.
"Heh, okay." Shining Armor said, walking over to a nearby table. "I haven't had a chance to talk to you properly all week little sis. First it was the Changeling threat, then the preparations, then the ceremony, then the reception! We had no free time at all! Whose idea was it to have a wedding, anyway?" He shouted, waving his hoof theatrically. Twilight giggled.
"I know! I haven't had a chance to tell you about this amazing story I've been reading. They have a copy of it here!" She said, waving a hardback novel around her head.
"Well you can tell me all... ngg... about... uh... it... hnnnng!" Shining Armor's horn glowed, and he angled his head sideways, pulling, but his efforts were futile. The novel, levitated by Twilight's magic, barely moved.
"Jeez Twilight! When did your magic get so strong?! I used to be able to beat you easily when we hornwrestled!" The book begain to wobble, jerking sideways in a stop-go pattern. Twilight had to exert herself to keep the book in place, but she spared a few seconds to blow a raspberry at him. He growled at her playfully, pulling extra hard...
The book ripped in half.
The two siblings just stared at it, wide eyed. They looked at each other, then at the book again.
"Uh... whoops?" Shining Armor offered.
"Whoops." Twilight agreed, chuckling sheepishly.
"We can fix it later." Her brother cast the book aside. "Right now, we need to talk about what happened."
"At the rehearsal?" Twilight asked fearfully.
"At the rehearsal." He confirmed.
"Oh, we really don't need to B.B.B.F.F! We both apologized!" Twilight exclaimed. Shining Armor took a step towards her.
"Twilight." He said sternly. She backed away.
"No, I'd really rather we put it behind us." She mewled, backing into the wall.
"No. We need to talk about this Twilight."
"Please don't..." She whispered, turning her head away. Shining Armor sat down in front of her. He smiled as he wrapped his big, strong forelegs around his trembling sister.
As soon as Twilight felt his touch, she caved. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I don't know what came over me! When I read the letter I got scared because I realized how far apart we'd become, and nothing seemed right about Cadence, and I couldn't let her take you away from me if you were going to be unhappy. I was being so selfish. I-I... I would have ruined your wedding all because of my..." She trailed off, her words slipping into incoherent blubbering.
"Shh." Shining Armor held her while she cried into his chest. He waited a few moments before speaking.
"Twily, we really should have talked about this sooner. Listen, I don't want you to apologize. You were right to be suspicious. You-"
"But what if I was wrong?! What if that was the real Cadence and I'd really destroyed our relationship?"
"It wasn't and you revealed the deception to everypony." Shining Armor stated.
"That's no justification!" Twilight shouted.
"Twilight, nothing could ever destroy our relationship. Nothing. Disowning you? That was the spell talking. Think about it this way, if it was the real Cadence nothing suspicious would have happened, right? After the preparations, you told me that she was just as sweet as you remember. Everything would have been perfect if not for those darn Changelings."
"But." He continued. "I need to apologize to you. We both know that I didn't mean to say those terrible things to you, but that doesn't change the fact that I said them. I know that it hurt you, and I'm sorry Twilight." Shining Armor bowed his head.
"You're still my B.B.B.F.F." Twilight smiled up at him weakly.
"Heh, not getting out of that one any time soon, am I?" He grinned, ribbing her playfully. Twilight dropped her gaze to the ground, rubbing her foreleg.
"What about the Changelings though Shiny? Why is the Queen back? What's going on? How did they get to Cadence without you noticing?"
"Well, you know how much she loves her night strolls. Listen, Princess Celestia asked me to check for signs of mental influence, and there was nothing there. Whatever she's doing, it's all her." Twilight gasped.
"No! No, I was sure that they'd brainwashed her! Something is going on. Cadence can't have done this herself."
"Well right now it looks like she has. I haven't had a chance to speak to her about it, but something definitely happened during the honeymoon." Shining Armor paced back and forth, thinking. "Cadence said that she found them during a stroll. She said that they're not evil, and were going to starve. Twilight, you know how kind she can be. Cadence would definitely try to help somepony in need, even if it caused trouble for her." He said, smiling wryly.
"Yeah, she would..." Twilight agreed, smiling back. "What about the Princess though?" She asked worriedly.
"Hmm?"
"Cadence accused Princess Celestia of being xenophobic. They were saying things about her turning down an appeal, and then Luna started agreeing with the Changeling Queen! It's a lie, isn't it Shining Armor? Tell me it's a lie?"
"Well..." Shining Armor began hesitantly. "Princess Celestia did turn down a request made by the Queen a little over a year ago. I didn't hear what was said, but the Princess tasked me with escorting her out of Canterlot safely. They were only in there for a few minutes. I don't think it's true though. It's more likely that something happened in the past that made her wary of them."
Twilight's ears pricked up. "Wait, you think something might have happened?" She asked excitedly. Her big brother shrugged, nodding.
"There's probably a record of an event in the books here!" Twilight cheered, galloping over to the history section. She rushed back to the table with the appropriate book a few seconds later, slamming it down enthusiastically.
"Easy there, we don't want to break another book." Shining Armor cautioned. The pages ruffled as Twilight skimmed over them, looking for the section on Changelings.
"Aha!" She hollered triumphantly, before poking her nose into the pages and reading aloud.
"Changelings are shrouded in mystery. They... Deh deh deh deh deh, behavior, abilities ... Here we go. The existence of the Changeling race is steeped in legend, as there are no definite historical records to prove their existence. What?!"
"Check the edition." Shining Armor suggested. Twilight nodded, flipping to the correct page. Her eyes widened as she read the words.
"Updated last year. There's nothing in here about their appeal to the Princess, or any kind of event."
"Well, maybe I was wrong." He said simply.
"What do we do now?" Twilight asked, exasperated.
"Now we get on with our lives. The Princess will deliver her verdict tomorrow morning, I've sealed the Changelings in the ballroom, and the Queen is in the dungeon. It's getting late. You should go be around your friends, get some dinner. Now that I'm off duty I've got time to go see Cadence. I really need to talk to her about this, and I can take her some food too."
"Okay well, good luck. Thanks for the talk Shining Armor." Twilight said, smiling up at him.
"No problem little sis. You're going to be okay, right?" Her big brother asked, placing a hoof on her shoulder.
"Yeah, I should get back to my room at the castle." She leaned in to kiss him, but he pulled away.
"Twilight, I'm married now!"
"Aww, not even a little one?" Twilight pouted.
"Fiiiiine." He groaned, rolling his eyes. He leaned down and stuck out a cheek, and she planted a quick peck on it, giggling.
"Now go on." She urged, poking him with a hoof. He saluted, grinning, and galloped off.
Twilight grabbed her saddlebags, put back the books she'd used, and left. She was so relieved that her relationship with her big brother hadn't been ruined. They were still B.F.F.s, but time had changed things. She and Shining Armor had drifted apart. Only a little, but she could feel it. His hugs just weren't the same anymore. Back when she was a filly, her big brother's hugs were legendary. When she was wrapped in his forelegs, she knew that she was safe. Her B.B.B.F.F. was big and strong, even as a colt, and his barrier spells were nigh impenetrable. Nothing could hurt her when she was with him.
Something had changed though. Shining Armor's hugs used to be the best, but now... Twilight thought back to the hug that she and Rainbow had shared earlier. It was... different somehow. Rainbow was a little smaller than her. She wasn't well-built and muscular like Shining Armor. She was soft and curvy, but athletic too. Twilight remembered how she had felt the mare's silky mane tickle her muzzle. It was nice in a different way.
As Twilight walked through Canterlot Castle, deep in thought, she realized something. She could have a hug from her big brother anytime she wanted one, but Rainbow's hugs were much rarer. She wasn't the touchy-feely type, and affection wasn't her strong suit at all. Sure, she hung onto the edge of a group hug every once in a while, but a real hug was reserved for those she cared about the most.
--------------------------------
Twilight walked back to her room at the castle feeling much better than she had half an hour ago. She was spotted by an eagle-eyed pegasus flying around above.
"Twilight! There you are! I looked for you everywhere, where did you go?"
"Oh, hey Rainbow. I was in the library." The pegasus landed and cocked an eyebrow.
"That was the first place I looked. Where were you?"
"Well, I kinda have an old hiding spot." Twilight admitted, chuckling sheepishly. "I used to hide in one of the corners and build a book fort around myself when I was upset. Sorry."
She looked up. Rainbow was smiling at her. "A book fort? That's so like you Twilight, heh."
"I guess so, yeah." The unicorn blushed. "Listen Rainbow, I uh... can I give you a hug?"
"A hug? Why?" Rainbow asked, drawing back a little. Twilight rubbed the back of her foreleg nervously. This was becoming much more uncomfortable than she thought it would. She didn't know what to say, so she just looked up at her friend.
Rainbow glanced at her reluctantly. "Uh... okay." She walked up to Twilight, sat down, and wrapped her forelegs around her lavender friend. Twilight returned the hug, resting her head on a cyan shoulder and nuzzling into her soft mane. Why does this feel so good?
Rainbow was struggling to keep control of herself. A blush threatened to wash over her face, and she was putting a lot of effort into keeping her wings shut. Play it cool Dash. You can do this without going all red in the face. It's just a hug for a friend.
Twilight eventually ended the embrace, sitting there with her eyes closed for a few wonderful seconds. She sighed, and looked up at her friend. Rainbow was blushing and fiddling with her hooves. Twilight took it as a sign that she wasn't totally comfortable with 'sappy' stuff like this, but she appreciated that Dash would do it for her. She fought off her own blush as she steeled herself for what was coming next. This was going to be difficult.
"Rainbow." She began softly. The pegasus looked up at her with the tiniest shy smile, ears pricking up attentively. "Listen, I usually wouldn't bother you with this, but tonight, I just can't keep it to myself. I've tried to keep it a secret, but if I have to share it with somepony I want it to be you Rainbow."
Twilight reached up and placed her hooves on Rainbow's shoulders. Dash gasped, biting her lip. Twilight didn't notice when her wings burst open. She looked at her colorful friend, swallowed nervously, and...
"Rainbow, I need a freaking drink."
...
"WHAT?!"
"Please don't be angry! I try to keep it to myself, not even Spike knows about it, but things get so stressful sometimes I just need to unwind and relax and I really need to do that tonight but I'd have to go to a bar but I've never been to a bar before so I didn't want to go alone and what if I get really drunk out there so I thought I'd need somepony to go with me and I wanted it to be you because you're awesome and..."
Rainbow gazed at Twilight perplexedly. The pegasus didn't seem to be angry with her.
"You're not angry?"
"Angry? No, no I'm just... surprised?" Twilight breathed a sigh of relief.
"Can we go now? Just let me put away my saddlebags..." Rainbow nodded, then turned around and took off. Twilight walked over to their room.
"I'll be waiting up here!" The flying mare hollered. Twilight opened the doors with her magic, and found that the room was dark, to her surprise. She flicked the lights on, and heard somepony gasp. Rarity and Applejack were on one of the beds, and from the looks of things they had been caught by surprise.
Rarity was wearing her friend's stetson. She sat up and scrambled backwards, sitting down. AJ let out a surprised moan as she bolted upright. Rarity quickly returned the hat to AJ's head before wiping her mouth with a hoof. They both sat and stared at Twilight, wide-eyed.
"Twilight!"
"We weren't expecting y-aah!" Applejack shuddered involuntarily. She tried to stifle her gasp with a hoof, and Rarity laughed uncomfortably as she regained her composure.
"What brings you here?" The unicorn inquired cheerfully.
"I mean, we know this is your room too, but we thought you'd be out."
"We're not saying that you're not welcome though, quite the opposite."
"You can come right in if you want!"
"Of course, if you're going out somewhere, please don't let us keep you!"
"No siree! You go right along Twilight!
...
"I'm just dropping off my bags girls. Don't worry, I'm going out and I'll... leave you two." Twilight muttered, frozen. Her saddlebags landed on the floor with a thump, and she turned and ran from the room. The doors slammed shut after her, and she took a few moments to compose herself, breathing steadily. Wow. I was not expecting that.
"Rainbow!" She shouted, calling for the pegasus. Said pegasus shot through a cloud suddenly, landing next to Twilight with a loud thump.
"Ready for duty!" She barked, saluting. She giggled a second later, then walked over to the railing to look at the city below.
"So where are we going?" Rainbow asked. Twilight joined her, scanning the city for an acceptable establishment.
"Well we can't see anything from up here. Why don't we go down and look around?" Rainbow nodded, and they both turned around and started walking down to ground level.
"It's funny, I know Canterlot like the underside of my hoof, but I never paid attention to the bars." Twilight said. "Come to think of it I've never seen you go to any of the bars in Ponyville unless we're all having a night out. Do you drink much?"
"Actually, I don't really drink at all." Rainbow admitted. Twilight stared at her, surprised.
"Really? Not at all?"
"Nope. When it comes to alcohol, pegasi are lightweights. I'm a mare, and my body size isn't very big, so I get smashed really quickly. Besides, I can't fly straight if I've had a drink."
"Well you don't have to drink anything if you don't want to." Twilight offered. Rainbow scowled at her.
"Seriously Twilight? You want me to go into a bar and get a lemonade with a little parasol in it? I'm drinking, just keep an eye on me, okay?"
"Sure thing Rainbow." Twilight said, chuckling. "Although, you could still get a little parasol!" She grinned at the pegasus, who was glaring daggers at her by now.
"Okay okay, maybe not..."
Twilight and Rainbow eventually reached the nightlife district of the biggest city in Equestria. It was as though they were seeing it for the first time. There were lights everywhere, illuminating the droves of ponies filling the streets in every color. Some danced, some swayed drunkenly, a few were in the middle of a brawl. Some of the Earth pony members of the Royal Guard worked as bouncers, standing guard alongside each bar's own bouncer.
"Hey!" Rainbow called. "Fluttershy was really shaken after what happened today, so Pinkie took her out to cheer her up. We might run into them!"
"Did they say where they were going? We could go there!" Twilight replied. Rainbow's little 'nah' annoyed her. She'd have to make a decision now. Which place should they go to?
They looked around. The entire street was lined with bars and clubs. Some were big and extravagant, adorned with inviting colors, and some were cramped and shady. Most of the better-looking places had queues a mile long out front, which crossed them off the list of viable choices. There was a good place off to the right, but the music coming from inside sounded absolutely deafening, so no to that one too.
Then Twilight spotted the place. It was a colorful bar called the Midnight Mare. The entrance was fairly large, and the bouncer was a big unicorn mare. There were absolutely zero stallions waiting in the line, which was fairly short.
"There!" Twilight yelled, pointing at her choice. Rainbow's ears drooped.
"That place? Really?"
"Why not? What's wrong with it? It looks like a mares-only bar, so we won't bothered by any horny stallions." Twilight exclaimed, grinning.
Rainbow chuckled. "I guess so. Let's go." The line was only a few minutes long, and the bouncer smiled down at them when she let them in.
"See?" Twilight told Rainbow. "She was really friendly! This'll be great!"
"Yep, sure will Twilight." Rainbow agreed, grinning. The bar was a little bigger on the inside than it had seemed when they were standing outside. There were a lot of tables and booths, and around half were unoccupied. They walked up to the bar. The shelves on the back wall were huge, and they were stacked high with every type of alcohol that the duo could name, and even some that they couldn't. Twilight looked around behind her while they waited for the barkeep.
"See? No stallions, lots of ponies, and the music isn't as loud as I thought it'd be."
"Yeah, it looks alright. Can we get a table? I don't wanna sit at the bar." Rainbow asked.
"Okay, I think you two cuties were next, yeah?" The barkeep hollered. Twilight whirled around, blushing a little.
"Us? Um, yes I think so." She said, nodding. "I'll have a Johnnie Canter and soda please. No ice." The barkeep nodded, then turned to Rainbow.
"Sweetie, is that your natural mane color? It's gorgeous! Let me tell ya, if that's a perm, you gotta tell me who does it for ya!"
Twilight looked at her friend confusedly. "Of course it's her natural color!"
Rainbow ran a hoof through her bangs proudly. "Thanks!" She leaned in, lowering her voice. "You should see it when I fly."
"The barkeep laughed. "Okay, okay, what'll it be?"
"Cosmo." She said. Twilight turned to her, staring.
"A cosmopolitan? You? But that's a 'girly drink.' Aren't you going to get rum or something?" Twilight asked her incredulously. Rainbow gave her friend the best deadpan expression she could.
"Twilight, alcohol is not girly. Besides, Pinkie's been force-feeding me all kinds of new cake recipes all week. I think I've grown a sweet tooth." Twilight rolled her eyes, then turned to the barkeep.
"How much?" She asked.
"They're on the house." The barkeep replied, winking at her. The unicorn turned to her friend, grinning ear to ear.
"And you had your doubts about this place!"
Twilight's horn glowed, and her drink followed her as she trotted over to a table happily. Rainbow opened a wing and held it up to the bar, sliding her drink onto it with a hoof. She followed after her friend, walking over to the table and laying her wing on it.
"Hey Twilight, check this out." Rainbow said smugly. Grinning at Twilight, she snapped her wing back to her side, pulling it out from under her drink. The glass thunked onto the table cleanly, remaining upright. None had been spilled. Twilight's eyes bugged out.
"Very impressive!" She cheered, applauding. She turned to her own drink and took a sip. Her posture melted.
"Ooh, that's the stuff..." Twilight groaned. Rainbow laughed.
"Feel better?" She asked. Twilight nodded, eyes closed.
"You're not going to get smashed on me are you?"
"Nonono! Of course not. Two's my limit." Twilight assured her. Rainbow took a sip of her own drink.
"Wow, what a crazy day. You know, a lot happened in the garden after you left. You seemed pretty upset. Are you okay?" Rainbow asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine now. I talked to Shining Armor, and we cleared things up, thankfully. I'm still worried about Princess Celestia's alleged xenophobia though. I keep telling myself that it's not true, but all of these things keep popping up that say otherwise."
"What do you mean?" Rainbow asked, tilting her head quizzically.
"Cadence hadn't been brainwashed." She said simply. Rainbow's jaw dropped.
"What?! That makes no sense, how did you find out??"
"Shining Armor told me himself. He even checked with a spell."
"No." Rainbow stated defiantly, shaking her head. "Cadence is a Princess. She wouldn't betray us for the same Changeling that almost ruined her wedding. Twilight, you know Cadence better than any of us. Do you think we can trust her?"
Twilight slumped, sighing. "I don't know Rainbow. I just don't know. I definitely don't trust the Changelings right now though."
"Same here." The cyan mare agreed, bristling her wings. She turned to Twilight, chuckling.
"It's funny isn't it? How there's a possible invasion happening, and we're in a bar." Twilight smiled.
"I guess so. There's not much we can do right now though. The Changelings are sealed in the ballroom, and the Queen is in the dungeon." The unicorn said, peering into her empty glass. "I'm getting another drink. I'll be back in a second." Rainbow nodded to Twilight as she got up and walked over to the bar. She ordered, exchanging a few words with the barkeep. She was feeling nicely buzzed by now, but could go a little further. The barkeep surprised her by putting two drinks down in front of her.
"Wait, I only ordered one!" Twilight protested.
"I know. These are from..." The barkeep looked over Twilight's shoulder, frowned, then scanned the room. "Ah, these are from the two mares over at your table." She chuckled.
"Uh, thanks." Twilight said uncertainly. She looked over at her table, and was surprised to see a pair of big, bulky mares there. They were all over Rainbow. Dash scowled at them as she tried to wrestle them off her, but then one leaned down and whispered something into her ear. She froze, eyes wide. Twilight gasped and rushed over, towing the drinks behind her.
"Uh hi. What's going on?" Twilight exclaimed. Rainbow had sunk down into her seat, looking extremely uncomfortable. The pair of mares let go of her, grinning at Twilight.
"Hey there. I see you got the drinks we sent you. Same as before, right?" One said. She was a tall, dark blue pegasus with a yellow, wavy mane. "I'm Poledancer, and this is Garden Blast." She said, gesturing to the pale red unicorn with a long green mane standing next to her. Twilight chuckled uncomfortably as Garden Blast waved to her.
"I'm uh... Twilight Sparkle, and this is Rainbow Dash."
"Twilight Sparkle eh?" Poledancer said. "Cute name for an even cuter mare." She grinned as Twilight's face flushed red.
"Hi..." Rainbow added quietly. Poledancer pulled Twilight and Rainbow close with her wings, dropping her voice to a husky whisper.
"Whaddya say we get outta here?" She suggested. Rainbow let out a timid squeak. She looked absolutely mortified. Twilight looked up at the blue mare confusedly.
"And go where?" She asked. Poledancer blinked at her for a few seconds, then laughed. "Blast, I think we've scored a couple of virgins!"
"Oh wow!" Garden Blast replied, throwing a foreleg around Rainbow's shoulder. The cyan mare's face was doing a rather good impersonation of a tomato.
"I'll give you a hint." Poledancer whispered. "Back at our place, we've got a bed that's plenty big enough for the four of us. We won't ruin the surprise by telling you what we have in mind, but I guarantee that we can make you squeal and beg us for more of it."
Twilight nearly choked on her gasp. She now knew exactly what was going on.
"Twilight?" Rainbow called, fear audible in her voice. Half of her face had sunken beneath the table. Twilight scowled. She picked up the two mares with her magic and moved them over to the opposite side of the table, and lifted Rainbow over to her side.
"No!" Twilight shouted. "Thank you for the drinks, but how dare you assume that we're like that? Now go away. Shoo!" She waved her hooves at them, glaring. The pair of mares stared at her, befuddled. Garden Blast snorted, and they spun around and stamped off.
Twilight turned to Rainbow, aghast. "Can you believe the-Hey, are you okay?"
Rainbow was shaking. Her ears were flattened against her head, and she was staring into her glass abashedly. She jumped a little when Twilight wrapped a foreleg around her shoulders.
"Hey." Twilight called softly, nudging her. Rainbow turned and glanced up at her friend briefly, keeping her head down. Twilight was concerned, to say the least. She had never seen Rainbow like this before.
"Uh, I yeah-it, I mean, nothing. It's..." Dash inhaled, trying to calm herself. "That was my fault Twilight. I should have said something before we came in."
"Something about what??" Twilight asked. She looked around curiously. Something did seem a little strange about this place. Twilight had figured that there might be a few horny fillyfoolers in a mares-only bar, but a lot of the mares in here were being very... intimate with each other. Her eyes fell on a pair that were kissing.
Oh.
"We're in a fillyfooler bar!?" Twilight shouted, completely gobsmacked. She turned to Rainbow, glaring. The pegasus's blush had washed away, and she sat there grinning at her friend.
"You knew, didn't you?"
"Yep." Rainbow chuckled.
"Why didn't you say something?!"
Rainbow shrugged. "Well, you did say that you wanted to avoid the horny stallions." Twilight grumbled. She had a point.
"Anyway, thanks for the save Twi." The pegasus giggled. Twilight raised an eyebrow.
"What happened to you back there? What did that unicorn say to you?" She asked. Rainbow blanched.
"Well uh... nothing really. Don't worry about it." She smiled, waving her hoof dismissively.
Twilight was about to say something, but noticed Poledancer and Garden Blast coming back over.
"Hi again!" Poledancer said, confident as ever. "Listen, normally I'd leave you alone, but Blast here loves a challenge, and she usually gets what she wants." Twilight and Rainbow just stared at her disbelievingly.
"Besides." Garden Blast added. "I thought you might need some time to think about our offer." Twilight's jaw dropped as she watched Poledancer sling a wing over Rainbow's back and pull her in close. Grinning devilishly, she lowered her lips to Dash's ear.
"You sure you don't want to try it?" The larger pegasus whispered, moving up to nibble on the tip of her ear. The smaller pegasus shuddered, accidentally letting out a soft moan. Her blush returned in full force as a blue hoof shot up to stifle the telling noise she'd just made. Her ear slipped from between Poledancer's warm lips, and she shuddered again.
"You like that huh? That's just the beginning..."
Twilight was too busy dealing with Garden Blast to help her. She kept the larger unicorn fixed with a death glare, horn aglow. Blast knew better than to try making a move on her. The bigger unicorn relented, stepping back. Twilight turned to the other one, pushing her away from Rainbow with her magic.
"Don't touch her."
Poledancer groaned. Rainbow hurried around the table to stand beside Twilight. Lavender unicorn and red pegasus stared each other down. Ponies were beginning to notice. This wasn't going to end well. Rainbow had to do something, and quick.
"Girls!" she shouted. "My marefriend and I are just here for a quiet drink. Sorry, but we're not interested." Rainbow huddled close and slung a wing around Twilight, nuzzling her. Poledancer rolled her eyes.
"Whatever..." They both left in a huff.
Twilight breathed a sigh of relief, only to have her next breath catch in her throat as Rainbow leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.
"Rainbow!" She gasped. "What are y-"
"They'll leave us alone if we pretend to be a couple." Rainbow explained, trying to hide her blush.
"Oh, okay. Good thinking Rainbow!" Twilight exclaimed, leaning over to give the pegasus a kiss of her own. Dash's eyes widened, and her other wing sprung open. She looked away as casually as she could, eyes wandering around the room. She met the gaze of a mare who was watching her and Twilight intently. The mare winked at her, and she averted her gaze quickly, growing more and more flustered as the seconds passed. Twilight took a sip of her drink, smiling as she saw Poledancer and Garden Blast leaving.
"Oh good, they're gone. I thought we'd have to get out of here after what happened." She exclaimed, looking over at her friend. Rainbow was fidgeting and staring at the table.
"Hey, are you okay Rainbow?"
"Huh?" Her gaze snapped back to her friend.
"Sorry. I hope I didn't make you feel uncomfortable." Twilight pouted.
"No, it wasn't you. I uh... think I'll get another drink." She said, rushing over to the bar. She called for the barkeep, and Twilight teleported over when she walked up to the pegasus.
"Hey, there's no flying or teleporting in here ladies." The barkeep explained sternly.
"Right, sorry." Rainbow replied, nodding. "Rum and cola thanks." She turned to look at Twilight, who cut her off with a raised hoof.
"It's my shout tonight Rainbow. Put away your bits, I insist." Twilight said. Rainbow smiled up at her.
"Wow, thanks Twilight."
"Five bits for that one." The barkeep announced, clunking Rainbow's drink onto the bar. "You two make a really cute couple, if ya don't mind me sayin.'" She leaned in close, whispering conspiratorially. "Place like this, you two oughta watch out." she chuckled, winking at Twilight, then went off to tend to some other customers.
--------------------------------
The front door of the Midnight Mare swung open, and a lavender mare walked out. She was supporting a very drunk pegasus, who was giggling raucously.
"Twilight, you should have stopped me getting drunk too much before I had too many drinks... to drink."
"Mhmm," Twilight replied wearily. "Take a few deep breaths, the fresh air will clear your head."
"Clear my head? Of what?"
"Alcohol! You've been drinking, remember?" Twilight exclaimed, jabbing Rainbow with a hoof. The pegasus laughed.
"You're a real crack-up sometimes Twilight. Why would I need to clear my head? The drinks are in my stomach!"
Twilight groaned. "Rainbow, you've had too much to drink. Just take a few deep breaths. Please?"
"Fiiiiiine." Rainbow grumbled, sucking in air. "I only had three drinks though! It's not like I didn't have too... wait, had too many!"
"Uh huh." Twilight droned. "Rainbow, remember how you told me that a small mare such as yourself couldn't handle that much alcohol?"
"What?" The pegasus shouted, taking to the air and getting in Twilight's face. "Is that a challenge? I can so not handle that much drinks!"
Twilight groaned. "Rainbow, cool it. And please stop flying, you're going to hurt yourself!"
"Oh yeah?! I'll show you how drunk I am!" Rainbow slurred, shooting forward in a straight line and coming to a stop with expert precision.
... Except, that's what she would've done if she weren't completely smashed.
"Ow!" Dash groaned. She had barely made it a foot before faceplanting clumsily. Luckily, they had wandered onto a grassy patch just off the street. Rainbow shot back into the air suddenly, shaking herself off.
"I'm fine!"
"All right, that's enough!" Twilight shouted. Her horn glowed, and Rainbow's back hit the grass. She cried out in surprise as her limbs were pinned down.
"Agh, Twilight, what the hay??"
Twilight walked over to her and lowered her head. Her horntip touched Rainbow's belly, and magic flowed. Rainbow giggled a little as her tummy tingled, then rumbled audibly.
"What are you doing, Twilight?" The unicorn's response was a wink as she picked up the pegasus and set her down on her hooves.
"Anti-intoxication spell!" She chirped, grinning. Rainbow blinked, taking a few seconds to see how she felt. She wasn't wobbly anymore, and her mind had cleared up. She felt pretty good, actually.
"Hey, it worked!" She shouted.
"You sound as though you were expecting it not to." Twilight retorted.
"Well..." Rainbow smiled cheekily. Suddenly, she scowled.
"Hey! You let me get drunk!" She accused. Twilight giggled.
"I sure did!"
"Why?"
"Well, I was still watching out for you. And I have the spell I just used, so I knew you'd be fine." She explained reasonably.
"I guess so..." Rainbow said slowly.
"And besides! I wanted to see what you're like when you're drunk!" The unicorn chirped, fixing Rainbow with a silly grin. Rainbow stared at the ground, grumbling.
"And I'm glad I did. You're so cute when you're drunk, Rainbow!" She teased, throwing a foreleg around Rainbow's shoulders. The pegasus blushed a little, pushing Twilight away with her wing.
"And," Twilight continued cheerily. "I don't think I've ever heard you giggle so much!" This made Rainbow's cheeks turn even redder. She turned away sharply, spluttering.
"Oh yeah?! Well you, you..." Twilight stared at her expectantly, eyes bright.
"You walked straight into a fillyfooler bar and didn't even know it!" Rainbow crowed triumphantly. Twilight didn't miss a beat.
"Yes, and I was very popular with the mares, wasn't I?" She cooed, batting her eyes at Dash. She grinned, then fell to the grass in a fit of laughter.
Rainbow glared at her as she rolled around on the grass, laughing raucously. Rainbow couldn't help but laugh a little too. She sat down next to her lavender friend, chuckling with her.
"You should have seen your face! Your eyes bugged out so hard that they almost rolled away!"
"I couldn't believe it! I honestly had no idea when we walked in." Twilight's face hurt from all the laughing. She sat up, smiling at Dash. The pegasus leaned in, pressing her side against Twilight's.
"This was fun Twilight. Thanks for inviting me."
"You're welcome Rainbow. You know, I'd actually forgotten all about my nerves."
Rainbow's ears pricked up. "You did?" She asked. Twilight nodded. "Mmhm!"
Rainbow grinned as she leaned back, lying down on the grass. "Look at the stars, Twilight."
"You stargaze too??" She asked, taken aback. Rainbow nodded.
"Yeah. Don't tell anypony though." She warned sternly. "I nap so much during the day that I actually spend a lot of time awake at night. Sometimes, when I'm not reading Daring Do, I like to find a good cloud and watch the stars."
Twilight joined her, thumping back onto to the grass clumsily. "Wow, I'd never have guessed that about you Rainbow. You're always so fast, and I used to think that you were missing out on so many wonderful little things. You really have to stop sometimes and take notice of the world around you. Look at this grass, for example. It's blue!"
Rainbow turned her head sideways, looking down at the grass. It was indeed a strange blue-green color. Rainbow's nose crinkled as tall blades of it tickled her muzzle. It was then that she noticed just how close her and Twilight's faces were. Twilight smiled as their eyes met, and they gazed into each other's eyes for a brief moment.
"Do you know about constellations?" Twilight whispered. Rainbow looked away shyly, turning her eyes to the sky.
"No, not really. Do you?" Rainbow looked back down at Twilight when she heard no answer. The unicorn was smiling at her, eyebrow cocked.
Dash chuckled. "Okay, okay, stupid question."
"Look up there." Twilight said, pointing with her hoof. "See those three stars in a line, the bright ones? That's Orion's belt. The other bright stars around it..." She explained, tracing the shape with her outstretched hoof. "... make up Orion himself."
"Who's Orion?" Rainbow asked.
"A great warrior stallion of olden times." Twilight replied.
"And up there," She explained fondly. "Is the North Star. It's always been special to me. Shining Armor taught me to navigate by it, in case I ever got lost, and I could always remember it because it's in his cutie mark." She looked down at her own flank before continuing. "Then it became my cutie mark as well. Anytime I felt myself miss him, I knew I could find our star, and it'd point straight back to Canterlot."
She glanced at Rainbow. Dash was smiling.
"The North Star's name is Polaris. It always indicates north when you see it in the sky. And look over there! See those seven stars?"
"Yeah?"
"That's Ursa Minor." Twilight explained. Rainbow looked at her.
"The Ursa Minor?" She asked.
"Yes, actually. The constellation was discovered by an astronomer named Ptailemy, and he named it after the bear."
Rainbow gazed up at the stars confusedly. "Why?" She asked.
"It looks like a bear. It's pointed downwards, see? The paws are on the side." Twilight explained, waving her hoof.
"It's got a really long tail."
The unicorn chuckled. "Yeah, it does."
Nothing more was said. Both mares were happy just lying there with each other, gazing up at the night sky.
After some time, Rainbow gasped. Twilight had reached over and taken her hoof, holding it in hers. When she looked over, the unicorn was smiling warmly.
"I really like this side of you, Rainbow." She whispered. Dash chuckled nervously. There was nothing she could do about the hot blush on her cheeks.
"...Thanks I guess." She mumbled, fidgeting. Twilight let go of her hoof, chuckling to herself. She was glad that Rainbow hadn't pulled away.
Dash exhaled, her body no longer tense. Suddenly, Twilight rolled over to face her, cupping her face in her purple hooves.
"Rainbow." She whispered gently. "I've told you before that you don't have to hide your feelings from me. Please don't ever feel scared to be yourself when it's just us, okay?"
Rainbow bit her lip, trying to stay calm. Her blush had spread, warmth seeping down her neck, and her breath caught in her throat. She swallowed nervously before replying. She was so glad that she was lying on her closed wings.
"... okay."
Twilight just smiled. She turned back, then rolled forward onto her hooves before turning around and offering a lift to her friend. Rainbow took it, using the hoof to pull herself upright.
"Ugh, my rump is numb now." Twilight grumbled.
"My wings are numb!" Rainbow countered. "That's much worse." Twilight responded by yawning at her.
"Ooh! I think it's about time we hit the hay." She commented. "We should start heading back." Rainbow nodded her agreement, and they both began the walk back to the castle.
Rainbow opened her wings, flexing them to work out the numbness. With one powerful flap, she was airborne. She climbed a short distance then entered a shallow dive, wheeling around above Twilight's head.
"Hey, don't fly away!" Twilight complained. Rainbow came to a stop in front of her, flying backward slowly.
"Heh, sorry. I just really like flying at night. Especially high up."
"Why at night?" Twilight asked.
"It's really quiet up there. Somehow, it's completely different to flying during the day." Rainbow sighed, looking at the ground sullenly.
"Sometimes I wish that there was somepony I could go flying with. The only pony I can really ask is Fluttershy, and she'd think of it as a chore. It's too scary at night, that kinda stuff."
"Well..." Twilight thought, tapping her chin with a hoof. her horn glowed, and her hooves began to glow with a soft violet light. Then she raised her head, disappearing with a flash.
The loud bang that came from above drew Rainbow's gaze skyward. Twilight's smiling face peeked out over the edge of a cloud, and she waved when Rainbow spotted her. Laughing excitedly, she took off, flying up to the cloud.
"Twilight? Where did y-oh no!" Her gaze swung downward, scanning frantically. Had Twilight fallen?
"Rainbow! Up here!"
Breathing a sigh of relief, the pegasus shot up to meet her. Twilight grinned as she stamped her hooves on the cloud, as if testing it's cushiness.
"Neat huh?"
"Hehe, yeah!" Dash exclaimed, whizzing around her. "Let's go higher!" She ascended as Twilight watched, smiling. Twilight leaped off the cloud, hanging in midair for a second before gravity took hold. With a kick of her legs, a bubble shield formed around her, and she began to float upward slowly.
"I'm coming!" She hollered to the pegasus above her. Twilight eventually reached Rainbow's height, and she grinned sheepishly as the pegasus frowned at her, tapping her hoof impatiently.
"Can't that thing go any faster?" Rainbow asked, grinning.
"Oh shush, you. I'm here now." Twilight grumbled, teleporting onto the cloud. Rainbow smiled at her excitedly, walking over to the edge and pointing down.
"Look at the city down there. You really can't get a view like this in the castle." She said. Twilight looked. The city was bathed in soft moonlight, which shone off the white buildings and made everything shine blue. The nightlife district was brightly illuminated, but the quieter parts of the city were much calmer. Only a few lights remained, shaped square by the windows from which they shone. Rainbow sighed, turning to look at the other side of Canterlot. She had opted to stand on the edge of the cloud, next to Twilight, and wasn't looking where she was stepping. This unfortunately meant that her back hoof had overshot the edge, and Rainbow fell. There wasn't enough time to grab anything; her body rolled off the surface before she could react.
"Aaaaah!" The world was a spinning blur, and wind whistled past her ears. Falling was usually a non-issue for a pegasus—especially one that could fly as well as Dash—but she wasn't falling, she was tumbling. Righting herself proved impossible.
In her panic, she didn't notice the beam of violet light reach down and catch her. A bubble shield formed around Rainbow, and gravity no longer had a hold on her body. She took the time to catch her breath as she ascended, retracing the distance she had fallen until Twilight's concerned face came into view.
"Rainbow!" Twilight cried. "Please be careful!" She held a hoof to her chest, calming herself.
"You saved me... thanks, Twilight."
"What happened? I look over and suddenly you're not there. I didn't even realize that you'd fallen until I heard you screaming." Her voice held so much concern. She took down the shield, carefully levitating Rainbow back onto the cloud. As soon as her hooves made contact, Twilight hugged her tightly.
"Don't do that again, okay?" she said, pouting at the pegasus.
"Don't worry, I won't." Rainbow assured. Twilight's horn glowed, and they reappeared at ground level with a loud bang.
"I think that's enough flying for one night."
"Wanna go back now?" Rainbow suggested.
"Yeah, okay." The unicorn agreed.
They strolled back to the castle slowly, enjoying the quiet lull of a city at rest. The castle was only a few blocks away, and the streets were empty. When they reached their street, Twilight gasped.
"Oh, look! A new ice cream shop's opened up here!" She exclaimed, trotting up to it. She pressed her face against the glass, looking inside. Rainbow joined her, peering into the dark shopfront.
"Looks good." She commented.
"It's a shame they're not open now, I'd really like a milkshake." They both walked away, cutting across the grass to the castle entrance.
"We could try it tomorrow." Rainbow suggested.
"Wait, did you hear that?" Twilight said, ears pricking up.
"It sounds like... Fluttershy?" Dash wondered aloud. "Is she singing?!" They both looked around, trying to discern where the sound was coming from. They spotted her flying up the street toward the castle, bobbing lopsidedly. She had her eyes closed, and was singing at the top of her voice.
"Ohh, what a magical place!
I can see it now, cuz I'm drunk off my face!
If I knew that booze was such a wonderful drink,
I'd have drunk it sooner, and... um...
...
Dee dee dee!
Yes, I. Love. Everythiiiiiiing!"
Fluttershy finished her song on a high note, throwing her hooves skyward. She nearly lost her balance as she lowered them, then keeled sideways into a wall as she tried to steady herself. Twilight and Rainbow stared, wide-eyed and flabbergasted.
"That's Fluttershy." Twilight said.
"Yep." Rainbow agreed.
"She's drunk."
"Yep"
"We should go see if she's okay."
"Yep."
They both cantered over to the drunk pegasus, who was trying to do a barrel roll.
"Fluttershy!" Rainbow called. "What's going on?!"
Fluttershy's head shot up as soon as she heard Dash call out to her. A huge smile formed on her face, and she zipped over and tackled the pegasus to the ground.
"Oof! Watch it Fluttershy!" Rainbow shouted.
"Hiya Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy cheered brightly, beaming down at her. The smell of booze on her breath was painfully obvious.
"Fluttershy! You're drunk!" Twilight hollered, clearly annoyed.
"Of course I'm drunk Twilight!" Was her reply.
"Why are you drunk though?!"
"Because I've been drinking!"
"No, but, I mean, you... Aah!" Twilight spluttered in exasperation. "What happened Fluttershy?"
"Oh, Pinkie Pie took me out to a bar, and we got some drinks. I drank them. I thought that'd be obvious, Twilight." She looked at the unicorn confusedly, then suddenly took off, flying away.
"Ohh no." Twilight stated firmly. "You're going to bed so you can sleep the rest of it off." She grabbed the wild mare with her magic, plonking her back on the ground.
"Aww..." she whined, pouting.
"No buts!" Twilight snapped, turning on her hoof and trotting back to the castle. "Now let's go!" She called over her shoulder.
Rainbow stayed by Fluttershy's side as she trudged after Twilight, pouting. She looked over at Dash, suddenly excited again.
"Hey! We should dance!" She suggested brightly. Rainbow had no time to protest before Fluttershy grabbed her and pulled her close.
"There were some really nice mares at the club we went to. They showed me this new dance!" She explained. She stood upright, pulling Dash with her, then started grinding her crotch into Rainbow's leg as she swayed and waved her hooves rhythmically. Rainbow cried out in shock, jumping away. She grabbed the raunchy pegasus and slammed her hooves back down, backing away from her.
"What the hay are you doing, Fluttershy!?" She roared. The yellow mare just tilted her head quizzically, staring at Rainbow.
"You know, you two are really slow on the uptake tonight. Have you been drinking?" She asked. Rainbow facehoofed.
"Okay, that's it." She snapped. She lunged at Fluttershy, grabbing her around the waist, and took off towards the castle balcony outside their room. Fluttershy hit the ground a few seconds later, landing outside their door.
"Ouch!" She whined. Rainbow landed next to her, scowling.
"Snap out of it Fluttershy! It's time for bed!"
"Oh alright..." She relented, rubbing her side gingerly. They both jumped when a loud bang sounded behind them. Twilight teleported onto the balcony, giggling.
"It's not funny!" Rainbow shouted.
"It kinda is, Rainbow." Twilight countered.
"Hi! What are we talking about?" Pinkie Pie trotted around the corner, coming into view.
"Pinkie? Where did you come from??" Twilight wondered.
"Around the corner, silly! I was heading back and I saw the three of you, so I followed you up!"
"Pinkie!" Fluttershy cried, zipping over and hugging the pink pony tightly. "Thank you soooo much for tonight! I had so much fun!" She gushed, bouncing up and down. Pinkie yawned.
"You're welcome! You can tell me all about it tomorrow, okay? I'm about ready to nod off!" She exclaimed, bouncing toward their room.
"Finally!" Twilight huffed. "Rarity and AJ are in there, so be quiet guys." She cautioned. Opening the doors, they walked in quietly. Rarity and Applejack were asleep, thankfully, and Pinkie and Fluttershy both retired to their bed with minimal fuss. Rainbow hit the sack as Twilight grabbed the saddlebags she had hurriedly thrown at the foot of her bed earlier, setting them down against the bedside table neatly.
She pulled back the covers and climbed in, enjoying the cool sensation of the blankets. She heard Rainbow let out a few mumbles as she got comfortable. Once she had settled, Twilight nuzzled her.
"Goodnight Rainbow." She whispered.
"Mmmnight Twilight." The pegasus mumbled back. Twilight rolled over, facing outward, and poked her pillow a few times. There's something missing... She thought, looking back at the mare behind her. Twilight lay still for a few moments, deciding. Finally she nodded to herself and rolled over. She scooted in and spooned Rainbow, wrapping a foreleg around her chest. Rainbow didn't protest.
Twilight sunk into the bed, sighing contentedly. She held the pegasus close, and drifted off to sleep.