Derpy awoke with a yawn and a stretch of her legs and wings, when she stretched her wings, she felt them brush against something, she turned around to find herself looking at the sleeping form of Rainbow Dash, she almost reeled back in shock but she held it back, barely. She sat up and looked around the room, her and Rainbow's bed's had been pushed together, sometime last night, but Derpy couldn't remember a thing about last night, all she could see in her memories of last night, was a rainbow coloured blur, she decided to lay down again in hopes that she wouldn't disturb Rainbow's slumber, she looked at Rainbow for a while, trying to remember what had happened last night, she remembered getting up to sing, and going back up to their room and then couldn't remember anything else, so she decided to just lay there in silence and listen for any signs of Rainbow stirring from her sleep.
Rainbow was snoring lightly, in a way it was actually kind of cute from Derpy's perspective, but Derpy was waiting in silence for what seemed like an eternity, not that she didn't mind silence, but she wanted to know what had happened last night, but she didn't want to wake Rainbow, she looked to peaceful. So she decided to lay in silence once more, looking at Rainbow sleeping peacefully, her eyes fluttering and her ears occasionally flicking lightly. She did not have to wait long this time before Rainbow woke up.
_._._._()_._._._
"Ugh... my head, what the hay happened last night?" asked Rainbow out loud before she opened her eyes.
"I don't know, but I think we... I think we... ya know" said Derpy almost scaring the living daylights out of Rainbow. Rainbow turned around to see Derpy, her face was in a sheepish sort of smile, Rainbow had to ask,
"Did we really? I remember kissing you and then you... oh buck, we did it. Didn't we?." Derpy looked at her friend with a look of confusion before she finally said,
"I have no idea what we did, all I remember is a rainbow coloured blur, although that might explain why I ache slightly in that area."
They stared at each other for a little while, in complete silence, they were trying to figure out what had actually happened when it clicked, Derpy had remembered what had happened that night, quite vividly. So to spare another awkward moment staring at Rainbow Derpy leened over and kissed her and said,
"I remember. And I liked it."
Rainbow had a look on her face that would have caused anypony who walked into the room to question the physics of it, again they sat in an awkward silence before Rainbow finally said in a whisper,
"I remember. And I liked it as well."
And with that they embraced in a long kiss that seemed to last for ever, but the moment was cut short when they heard three knocks on their room door and a voice, which they assumed belonged to Gealach saying,
"Alright ponies, it's breakfast time, the food will be ready soon, so come on down."
_._._._()_._._._
Rainbow and Derpy quickly got up after hearing their own stomachs growl in hunger, they walked down stairs to discover that only Applejack and Blazing were there. They took their places at the table, Applejack was giving them a look that was making them uneasy, she made sure she whispered when she said,
"Ya'll have fun last night?"
When she said this two things happened, Rainbow who was just sitting there blushed with a crimson so bright it rivaled Blazing's coat and Derpy who was drinking her orange juice at the time, swallowed it the wrong way and started coughing. Rainbow immediately started patting her back to help stop the coughing quicker, when Derpy had finished coughing she started to blush at what Applejack had said. All the while Applejack and Blazing where laughing their flanks off, it took them a minute to calm down, after they finally stopped laughing Applejack said,
"Sorry bout that Derpy, but I couldn't resist, besides seein Rainbow's face was worth it. You guys were hardly quiet though, I'd be surprised if Gealach didn't hear you, at least we tryed ta be quiet." she pointed to Blazing before continuing. "I had have never in all my years thought that Rainbow might be into mares."
At this Rainbow lost it she got up and walked over to Applejack and landed a mean left hook, this floored Applejack but Rainbow had forgotten one thing, Blazing. Seeing Applejack being hit caused her to snap, she leaped at Rainbow grabbing her and pinning her to the wall.
"Apologize!" Rainbow knew she had went to far this time, but she couldn't draw a proper breath so all she could manage was,
"I... can't *cough*... your... bucking *cough*... choking me."
Blazing lightened her grip when she felt Derpy pull on her shoulder, she turned and looked at Derpy, she was crying, when Blazing saw this she dropped Rainbow and started to calm down, before she apologized herself. Applejack finally got off the floor and said,
"What'd I miss?"
She looked around and noticed that Derpy was crying and holding Rainbow in a tight hug, Blazing just sat there her eyes unmoving, she said,
"I... I overreacted, I may have slightly strangled Rainbow."
Rainbow looked up and said to Blazing, who at this point looked on the edge of tears herself,
"I'm sorry? I would have done the same in your hooves, you don't need to apologize. I'm sorry Applejack, I shouldn't have hit you. You alright Derpy?"
Derpy was still embracing Rainbow in a tight hug, she looked up when she heard her name and nodded in response.
_._._._()_._._._
When they finally got up, they all returned to their seats in silence, this was when Twilight and Dawn finally appeared from their room, after a brief walk down the stairs they also took their seats at the table, Gealach appeared from a door somewhere in the back of the inn, he was carrying in one paw two, one tray laden with toast and the other breakfast muffins, at the sight of muffins Derpy's mood improved greatly, she hadn't had any in weeks. In the other paw Gealach was carrying a tray with orange juice and sticks of butter, he made it over to their table with no effort, he quickly placed the tray's on the table.
"Enjoy your meal" he said quickly before he practically vanished before they could thank him. The meal was superb, the toast was perfectly made, the muffins of which Derpy ate the most of, were baked to perfection, she was pleased to discover that they were her favorite kind, Chocolate and raspberry, it was an odd combo to be sure, but she loved them and practically wolfed them down. When they had finished the sat there for about ten minutes debating about what to do, they finally decided to go into the town market and buy new travel cloaks, as their current ones had been ripped and torn in many places. They asked Gealach for directions to the market, after he told them, within ten minutes they were standing in the bustling market place, there were ponies, donkeys and wolfs all looking at stalls, bartering, talking to each other and in general being merry, but something felt off to Derpy, she couldn't shake the feeling they were being watched.
They split up into two groups Twilight went with Derpy and Rainbow, Dawn went with Applejack and Blazing. Twilight, Derpy and Rainbow went off in search of a tailor, to find them some new traveling cloaks. Rainbow knew of a tailor, from her previous visit to the city a few years ago, so Derpy and Twilight followed Rainbow to this tailor. When they arrived they saw what appeared to be a run down shop exterior with a sign hanging above it, the sign had an odd symbol on it and underneath it had, Samhain's tailor's written in a gold paint.
"It looks abandoned, maybe we should go and find another tailor" said Twilight looking at Rainbow confused. But Rainbow was unfazed by how abandoned the shop looked, she walked up to the door, and opened it, with an almighty creak and a small bell ringing. She walked inside motioning her friends to follow, so follow they did and when they entered the shop they were shocked to see that the interior was, well lavish, it had a red carpet with a golden design on it, there was a mahogany counter and a few outfits made for display. They heard a voice call out from the doorway at the back of the shop,
"I'll be with you in a minute..." They then saw a wolf standing in the doorway, she looked at them, when her eyes finally fell on Derpy and Rainbow, who were standing next to each other, she smiled and said,
"I told you, Rainbow, I told you... anyway how have you been darling, it's been far, far to long."
The wolf walked over to Rainbow and hugged her, Rainbow turned to Twilight and Derpy and said with a cheery voice,
"This is Samhain, I stayed with her for about five months before I moved to Ponyville. Samhain, this is my friend Twilight." Samhain walked over and hugged Twilight gently before standing and facing Derpy, ready to hug her. "And this is Derpy, my marefriend."
At this three things happened, Derpy blushed and was hugged by Samhain, Twilight's jaw nearly fell of her face and then she walked over to Rainbow and hugged her in congratulations.
"See I told you Rainbow, all those years ago I told you." Said Samhain with a light smirk on her face.
"Rainbow what does she mean? And why does she look at me like that?" Asked Derpy still confused by the whole situation. Rainbow decided it best they get some chairs before explaining.
_._._._()_._._._
"You see, Samhain isn't exactly just a tailor, she is a fortune teller as well. She can tell your future by staring into your eyes for a moment and when I was staying with her she told me my fortune." Explained Rainbow as she sat on the chair next to Derpy.
"Your fortune as I recall went like this. Five friends you'll have, one of laughter, one of Kindness, one of honesty, one of generosity and one of magic. You shall have many an adventure together, and many a fight, but through it all you shall remain friends. You shall also have a love, one forged in a flame of passion, your love will be of golden nature, truest and pure, she will be odd to be sure, but that will not diminish your love for each other. And remember, golden eyes will light your path. I also remember that you laughed in my face when I told you it, but that aside what is it you wish of me you must be here for a reason." Samhain ended with a cheerful laugh and she looked into Derpy's eyes. Derpy stared right back, well with one eye, the other was looking at the counter right now.
"Your future, it's unclear to me, but I know it will have something to do with a slash of Thunder, but that is all I can see. Anyway why are you here, you must have a reason?" Samhain said, while quickly standing up and walking behind her counter.
"We need five traveling cloaks, by next Tuesday, can you do that?" Twilight explained. Samhain just looked at Twilight like she was stupid before she said,
"But of course, I can have them ready by next Tuesday. Any colour preference or embellishments?"
"Erm, no just five regular traveling cloaks will do fine. How much?" Asked Twilight. Twilight kept avoiding Samhain's gaze, she didn't want to know her future, after all, spoilers. Twilight handed over the bit's to Samhain, they all thanked her for her hospitality and left the store.
_._._._()_._._._
They had just arrived at the edge of the market place, they began looking for their fellow's when Rainbow noticed a wolf standing on a rooftop, he was gesturing towards something, Rainbow looked in the direction the wolf was pointing. Applejack the wolf was pointing at Applejack. It all happened so quickly, Rainbow took flight in an effort to get to her quicker but she was to slow, the wolf had already reached his target, In a quick movement he had whacked Blazing and Dawn over the head with a plank of wood, he then moved to Applejack and grabbed hold of her, he reached in to her saddle bag and pulled out a golden band, it was Applejack's wedding ring. Before Rainbow could reach the wolf a metal ball hit the ground next to him, a large, dense cloud of smoke hid him from view and when it dissipated the wolf was gone. On the ground Applejack just lay there crying, she had lost the second most important object in her life, Blazing finally got up clutching her head in her hooves and with an almighty roar of rage she snapped,
"They will pay for this!"
And with that a fire ignited in her eyes, a fire so full of rage it could have burnt Glaspony to the ground with ease. This was the wolf thief's big mistake, he had pissed off the most powerful pony: aside from Twilight, within a hundred miles. She would hunt them until she had gotten that ring back, but thankfully she didn't have to do it alone. They headed back to the inn to try and figure out a way to find the thief and the ring, Dawn was the only one with a solution, thankfully it could be started the next day as it was late and they all needed rest.
Rainbow and Derpy returned to their room, and fell onto their improvised double bed.
"Wanna go again?" Asked Rainbow. Derpy sat there for a minute with a face that said 'did you really need to ask'
That night was pleasurable to say the least but they were still thinking about the plan. After many a pleasant moment they fell asleep and into the realm of the dreamscape.