Chapter 3-TwiDash: "Preening is Loving"
Rainbow Dash has been rather excited recently her best friend Twilight Sparkle has not only grown wings, giving Dash a new flying buddy but has also become a Princess of Equestria. Dash had taken it a pawn herself to teach Twilight to fly but it was going to be harder, then either pony could have expected. Especially after a unfortunate accident that would bring the two mares closer, then either would have ever expected.
"Alright Twi, just use the wind to glide don't worry about flapping to much. You only need to flap to keep you aloft, until you catch a breeze." Rainbow said, flying close to Twilight just in case any emergency occurred.
"Like this Rainbow." Twilight asked, as her wings caught a light breeze she began to glide slowly through the air, trying to listen to Rainbow's instructions and go against her judgement and not flap her wings furiously to stay a float.
"Yeah good job Twi, but stay focused you don't want-." Before Rainbow, could finish her statement Twilight began falling from the sky. Rainbow caught Twilight just before hitting the ground, she sat the alicorn princess down safely.
"You ok Twi." Rainbow panted lightly trying to not sound slightly tired, from all the work its taking to train Twilight to use her new wings.
"Yeah thanks to you Rainbow, I guess I'll never get the hang of flying." Twilight looked at the ground, ears stuck downward against her head feeling the sadness welling up in her friend, Dash knew exactly what to say.
"Twi, you'll get the hang of it eventually it takes time." Rainbow said, siting back on her haunches next to the newly crowned alicorn princess.
"I know Dash its just that I'll never be as good as you." Twilight said, leaving Rainbow dumbfounded at Twilight's response.
"Well Twi, is doing magic as advanced as you do easy for all unicorns."
"Well no Rainbow, I study advanced magic and I even re-wrote Starswirl the Bearded's spell."
"Exactly, the same goes for me I've been training to fly for years the same way you've been practicing magic." Rainbow said, standing up from her seated position beside Twilight.
"I guess you're right Rainbow, I just thought I'd be able,to pick up on flying as easy as I do magic, I guess I was acting a little crazy."
"Maybe just a little, Princess Twilight Sparkle." Rainbow said, sarcastically as she stood to bow at Twilight's hooves.
"Rainbow, don't call me Princess first of all were friends and secondly please no bowing were equals I'm no better than you are." Twilight said, covering her face with her hoof a small blush running across her muzzle and cheeks, she hated it when other ponies especially her best friends treated her differently.
"I know Twi, I just love messing with you I think that's enough practice for one day, we don't want anymore un-needed crashes do you mind if I show you this new trick I've been working on."
"Okay Rainbow, go ahead."
Twilight laid on the soft grass as Rainbow flew up high into the sky, before shooting down through the clouds. She cut two barrel rolls before something went horribly wrong. Twilight watched in horror not knowing what to do as Rainbow, plummeted to the ground she careened into the ground.
"RAINBOW, RAINBOW!!!! Are you okay?" There was no answer Twilight began to worry. She quickly felt relief as she saw Rainbow's chest raising and falling, with each breath still knocked out Twilight did the only thing she could do. She carried Rainbow over her back into the library closing the door behind her with her magic. Twilight began to notice the state of Rainbow's wings the once beautiful feathery appendages were mangled, bent and covered in dirt, with rocks and small twigs coming from between them.
Rainbow really did it this time, I better start mending her wings quickly. I should refresh my knowledge a little on pegasus wings before doing anything. Twilight thought, levitating a book over sitting it in front of them flipping through it looking for how to repair damaged wings.
Step One: Remove any foreign objects, from the wings and clean any dirt or mud from the surface. Okay that shouldn't be a problem. Twilight thought, using her magic to remove the small stones and twigs, from the wings before beginning the clean up process, levitating a damp cloth over washing the dirt and mud away. Okay, Step Two: Straighten or remove any broken or bent feathers, this is known as Preening.
Twilight began, to preen Rainbow's feathers using her mouth to remove any bent or broken feathers just like the book instructed. Just as she began removing the first few feathers, Rainbow's body began to stir Twilight payed no attention continuing to preen Rainbow's heavily damaged wings.
"Uh ow. What happened? What am I doing here?" Rainbow asked, noticing she was now in the library laying on the floor, wings fully extended to each side of her she felt a small tug on one of her wings as she turned to notice Twilight lying down beside her.
"You had a little crash landing during one of your tricks so I carried you here, your wings are in pretty bad shape so I decided to help mend them." Twilight said, as she pulled another bent feather into place on Rainbow's right wing, causing Rainbow to jump attempting to fly but fell back to the floor.
"Twilight. What the hay do you think you're doing?" Rainbow used her hooves to cover her wings, which were now bent at her side.
"I'm just preening your wings Rainbow. What's the big deal? I thought I was helping." Twilight said, pausing in confusion had she done something wrong.
"What made you think preening my wings was okay?" Rainbow asked, still keeping her wings bent at her side to afraid to even move them not knowing the extent of her injuries.
"Well they were damaged so I read a book which said it's what pegasus do whenever they have damaged feathers. So with you knocked out, I figured I would just do it for you." Twilight said, her voice squeaking slightly in terror from Rainbow's outburst of sheer anger.
"Twi. What book did you happen to read?" Rainbow said, standing up slowly as she moved closer to the lavender alicorn, fire in her eyes.
"This one right here. Why?" Twilight said, handing the book over which the pegasus snatched from the Twilight's lavender magic, the pegasus quickly glanced over it before finding what she was looking for.
"Twilight, did you happen to read all the information on preening?" Rainbow asked, looking up from the large book back at her best friend still slightly anger with her thoughtless action.
"Well not really after reading how to actually preen someponies wings, I didn't really read further. Why?" Twilight asked, she felt her chest tighten up as she began breathing heavily, sweat began forming on her forehead waiting for Rainbow's response.
"Well maybe you should have read this." Rainbow throw the book back which Twilight caught in a purple aura of magic, sitting the book on the floor she read the paragraph after the one she stopped on.
"Preening is something every pegasus/alicorn does to remove any damages to the feathers, most of the time ponies will just preen their own wings. Only two circumstances may change this, First if their wings are in immediate danger meaning their wings would possibly take significant damage without intervention by an outside source. Second in pegasus culture, ponies will let their significant other preen them such as a mare/coltfriend." Twilight looked up at Rainbow who was no longer facing her turning her back on Twilight. "Rainbow, I am so sorry I had no idea it was something that personal for pegasus ponies. Please, forgive me."
"I don't know Twi." Rainbow said, sarcastically trying to torture Twilight even more, she didn't really mind Twilight, preening her wings, she always kinda had a crush on the egghead unicorn. Now that Twilight had wings, her attraction for the now alicorn, had tripled from before.
"Rainbow, I know I messed up but-." Twilight began speaking, before being cut off by the loud mouthed pegasus.
"But, what?" Rainbow attempted to sound anger, but it was very difficult as she bit her lip trying to hold back her laughter.
"Did you honestly mind me um preening your wings for you." Twilight asked, there was a pregnant pause as Rainbow Dash began to think, causing Twilight's worried meter to shot up by one-hundred percent.
Do I honestly feel this way about Twilight, I mean she's smart, sweet, easy to hang-out with, extremely hot. Okay calm down Rainbow its probably just a crush. Oh no Twilight's staring at me say something featherbrain anything. Rainbow thought, as she looked deep into the worried eyes of her best friend did she really feel something more then friendship.
"Uh well to be honest no but its kinda something that a special somepony is suppose to do for a pegasus." Rainbow said, a small devious smile, creeping across her face, hoping their relationship could go to the next level.
Why in the hay, did you say that brain, you see why I never listen to you, I don't know if I even like her like that. Rainbow thought, as she began arguing inside her own mind.
Come on you're The Rainbow Dash you're the most awesome pony in Ponyville, are you really scared of something as small as your feelings for Twilight, you know you really want her to be your marefriend.
You might be right brain I am 'The Awesome Rainbow Dash' some little crush isn't going to stop me. Rainbow told herself as she was having her own inner monologue it gave Twilight time to think, and finally after several minutes of waiting the alicorn's voice echoed throughout Rainbow's ears.
"Well Rainbow, maybe that could um be arranged if you want." Twilight said, placing a hoof between the base of Rainbow's wings making Rainbow shutter a little.
"Twilight, what exactly are you saying?" Rainbow asked, secretly hoping it meant a possible date with her best friend.
"Well perhaps if you're interested that is maybe we could, go on a date sometime." Twilight said, attempting to hide her embarrassment with her mane. This must be how Fluttershy feels, whenever she does this. Twilight thought, as Rainbow pushed Twilight's mane out of her face.
"First off don't do that we'd hate to have that pretty face covered and secondly I'd love to go on a date with you." The usually confident Rainbow Dash was acting nervous and timid, which brought a somewhat wicked smile to Twilight's face.
"Rainbow. Does that mean were uh marefriends now."
"Well lets see how the first date goes but, I guess I'd say yes."
Both ponies were now standing up looking into eachother's eyes. Neither pony could see anything except pure happiness and love. Neither pony wanted to move a muscle afraid they may be taking it to fast but Rainbow finally made her move, closing in on Twilight. Only mere inches away from Twilight's muzzle Rainbow stopped rethinking her plan, until she was meet halfway by Twilight, with a loving kiss.
"I love you Twi, I hope this day never ends." Rainbow said, blushing slightly she never acted like this except around Twilight. Maybe this means I do love her, for real this isn' some little fillyhood crush I think this really is true love. Rainbow thought, looking into her new marefriend's eyes thinking of her next move but her concentration was broken, by Twilight's voice hitting her ears.
"Wow Rainbow. When did you get so sappy, and lovey-dovey?" Twilight said, chuckling slightly as Rainbow slight blush turned into a heavy crimson hue.
"Well, don't get use too it-." Rainbow said, folding her hooves over her chest a small frown came across Twilight's face, she was pouting wanting to see what Rainbow's reaction would be if she got nothing else out of it. "Fine I'll act a little sappy, and lovey-dovey sometimes but only around you, and if you ever tell anypony I'm gonna denie it."
"Fine with me, Dashie." Nuzzling the neck of her new marefriend as they laid together, Twilight finishing preening Dash's wings. Rainbow of course returned the favor preening Twilight's wings before she placed a wing, around Twilight's back bringing her close, to her warm body. Both ponies sighed happily slowly falling asleep in eachother's loving embrace.