Part 3: This Is Letting Go
Rainbow groaned into her pillow as the first fingers of dawn crawled their way over the horizon and through her open window, blinding the pegasus. It mattered little though; it wasn’t as if she had gotten much sleep in the first place.
She dragged herself out of bed and blearily stumbled into the bathroom. She sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror. She was a mess. Her windswept mane was matted down and sticking out at odd angles from her restless night, the fur on her face was stained dark blue from the amount of crying she’d been doing since her argument with Twilight yesterday, her feathers were ruffled and in poor flying condition, and her eyes were puffy and bloodshot. Even by her standards, Rainbow Dash looked horrible.
With a downcast gaze, Rainbow soundlessly walked into her shower and bucked the clouds to get the water flowing. She practically jumped out of her skin as the cold water poured over her. If she wasn’t fully awake before, she certainly was now. Shivering, she sighed in relief as the water warmed considerably. Clouds may have been the most comfortable substance to lie on, but they were horrible with retaining heat and always started running on cold.
Rainbow could feel her muscles relax as the water cascaded down her face and mane. She let out an involuntary sigh as her body relished in the warmth of the water. Her mind forcefully replayed the events of the previous day, and any pleasure she had felt from the shower dissipated. Her body tensed as she recalled falling out with Twilight.
After she left Twilight’s house, Rainbow had spent the remainder of the day trying to vent. She flew longer and further than she had ever done before, ignoring the groaning protests made by her wings. She flew and shouted into the sky until her wings could no longer support her, forcing her to land back at her cloud house.
She stomped into her home, barely remembering to throw a few lettuce leaves Tank’s way, before she returned to her bedroom and emptied all of her tears into her pillow until it could take no more.
Shutting the water off, Rainbow stepped out of her shower, still stuck in thought. She grabbed a towel and began drying her coat, all the while wondering what was wrong with her.
I never cry like that. Even right after the whole Mare Do Well thing a couple weeks ago I didn’t bawl like some newborn foal. What’s so different this time?
Chewing on that question, Rainbow wandered downstairs into the kitchen where Tank was waiting expectantly for his breakfast. She grabbed a few lettuce leaves and plopped them down in front of him and a few pieces of toast for herself before taking a seat. She rested her head in her hooves and regarded Tank with an expressionless stare. Tank turned his head away from his food to return the stare.
Maybe it’s because it was Twilight that did it...
Since when do you care about her so much? Wouldn’t it have hurt as much if it was Rarity or Applejack or any of the other girls?
No... I don’t think so. Sure I would have gotten mad, but I don’t think I would have cried all night like that. I put my trust in Twilight, and I thought it was safe to share my feelings... my heart with her. Guess I was wrong.
Sighing again, she stopped her inner debate when she noticed that Tank had yet to touch his food and was still staring at her.
“What’s your problem?” she grumbled to her new pet.
Tank blinked.
“Is this about the whole Mare Do Well thing and Twi’? Look, I’m done with it! I tried being all feely and emotional and stuff with Twilight, and then she went and stabbed me in the back! She won’t even admit that she did it!” Rainbow shouted to the tortoise.
Tank blinked again, expression unchanging.
“Why should I feel guilty?!” she screeched, voice cracking. “Yeah, I kinda bit her head off, and sure she was crying, but what about me? How is it fair that I get to be used like some emotional ragdoll for everypony to toss around?! She got what she deserved, as far as I’m concerned,” Rainbow huffed, crossing her forelegs in front of her chest.
If anything, Tank’s blank stare became even more neutral as he stood stoic in front of his food, unflinching as his master continued her tirade. Though he couldn’t speak, Rainbow got the message loud and clear: Do you really believe that?
Finally, Rainbow broke, “Yeah... I guess she did seem pretty honest when she said that she didn’t do it. But everything points to Twilight dressing up as Mare Do Well to mess with me. She’s like the only unicorn I know who can teleport and an egghead like her would have a perfect map of Ponyville in her head. It was the same costume, and she wouldn’t tell me where she was the same night. How can I believe her? ”
Rainbow slumped forward against the table, head laying on its side, “I just don’t know what to do... I feel so lost...”
At a snail’s pace, Tank trudged across the table to Rainbow Dash. Her eyes were shut tight as conflicting emotions duelled inside of her, not noticing Tank’s approach until he leaned down to nuzzle her on the cheek.
Lifting her head, Rainbow gave him a small smile, “Thanks Tank. You eat up, I’m gonna go see if I can find Twilight and talk this out. I guess... it just doesn’t feel right leaving things as they are.”
She chomped down a piece of toast and prepared herself mentally as best she could. She had no idea what she would say or what she would do when she would get there, but she knew she had to talk to Twilight. As hurt as she was, Rainbow couldn’t leave things in shambles between herself and Twilight.
She silently cursed her own Element of Loyalty. Even when she felt that she was the one being wronged, she couldn’t bear to leave a friend hanging. She didn’t know if things could be repaired between the two, but she had to try something. Hopefully Twilight would just tell her the truth, apologise, and they could move past this. Though, Rainbow doubted she could ever trust her unicorn friend the same way ever again.
Their friendship would be strained, but they would still have it, or at least some semblance of it to hang onto. For now, that would be enough for her.
The tortoise smiled as he watched his master fly out the open window and into the blue sky, rainbow trail already beginning to fade behind her and returned to his breakfast, his work complete.
Rainbow took the longest possible route to Twilight's library without actually leaving Ponyville, dreading the encounter. When the building came into view, she slowed her flight, landing softly on the cobblestone path leading to the oak door, careful to make as little noise as possible. Though she was here to talk to Twilight, she didn’t want to alert the unicorn to her presence before she was ready.
She inhaled deeply, calming her nerves as she would before a big race. She dreaded this encounter, but knew she needed to say something to Twilight.
She raised her hoof and held it in front of the door, willing herself to knock. One minute passed, then two, then three, and Rainbow had moved an inch, her stare boring into the door. It was a surreal feeling staring at the library with such apprehension. Not three days ago she found herself spending more time here than anywhere else: reading with Twilight, talking with Twilight, laughing with Twilight, simply being with Twilight...
Rainbow shook her head violently, dispelling the memories. She wasn’t here to reminisce. She was here to set things straight. Mare Do Well came back. Everything pointed to Twilight being Mare Do Well. Rainbow exploded at her yesterday, and now she needed to see her again. It didn’t feel right to leave things as they were.
Well why not? If it wasn’t bad enough the first time, she turned around and stabbed me in the back after everything I’ve gone through!
She helped me though. That night we went camping she pulled all of that emotional stuff outta me and helped me move on. I owe her that much at least.
With a determined nod, she knocked three times on the door before she could second-guess herself. Each knock was slow and forceful, reverberating throughout the library and breaking the quiet calm that had fallen over it. She resumed her resolute stance, waiting for either the bookish unicorn or her assistant to answer the door.
After a minute when nopony had shown up, she tried again, this time a little louder. Again, she was met with silence. Not a sound could be heard coming from inside the library. She looked up at the position of the sun and judged that it was around ten o’clock in the morning. Normally at this time Spike was busy running around helping Twilight sort and organize the library while Twilight sat at her desk already immersed in a book.
That’s weird... Where is everypony?
She cleared her throat and tried again, “Hey, Twilight! Open up!”
Once more there was no answer to her call.
“Look Twi’, I just want to talk about yesterday, alright? Now just open the door and let’s get this over with,” she grumbled, waiting for the unicorn to appear. Another minute passed and Rainbow’s limited patience was wearing thin. “If you’re not gonna open the door for me Twi’, then I’m just gonna let myself in.”
When there was no response, Rainbow raised her hoof to the doorknob and tried to turn it, only to find the library locked. Rainbow stared flummoxed at the doorknob and tried again. Locked. This was a public library and was always open at this hour. Rainbow was just knocking in an effort to be polite.
Rainbow flew into the sky, up to Twilight’s balcony window where she could normally see the lavender pony reading in the library. She pressed her face to the window, cupping her hooves around her eyes to block out the sun, and saw that the library was dark and empty. It didn’t look as if anypony was home.
Rainbow wasn’t convinced.
She flew around the library, checking for any open windows or places she could slip in without breaking anything. Behind the building she found that one of the windows had been broken, and there were a few light hooftracks leading away down to the park. The opening the shattered window created was just large enough for her to squeeze through without cutting herself on the jagged edges.
Rainbow shrugged, “Must have been some foals playing ball or something.”
Backing up, Rainbow ran at the window. She jumped, tucking her wings and legs in close as she soared in through the opening, landing on her back in the hall of the library.
With a groan, she got to her hoofs, dusting herself off. After checking to make sure she didn’t injure anything on her entry, she looked around the library. Many of the curtains were drawn, making the library seem darker than normal. It was eerily quiet, the only sounds being Rainbow’s hoofsteps as she slowly walked through the library.
The first thing she noticed was the Mare Do Well costume laying in a crumpled heap in the corner of the room from her tirade the other day. Nothing had been touched since she left yesterday. After checking her bedroom and the basement, she walked into the kitchen and came to the conclusion that there was indeed nopony home.
A glance at the calendar on the wall reminded her that tomorrow was Twilight’s birthday. She groaned and facehoofed. After what happened with Twilight, she had completely forgotten to see Rarity about Twilight’s gift yesterday.
She sighed and left the library, unlocking and leaving through the front door, “Maybe Rarity knows where I can find Twilight...”
Rainbow alighted down in front of Carousel Boutique. After checking to make sure nopony was in the street, she tried the door only to find it locked.
“What the…? Where is everypony today?” she grumbled as she tried knocking.
A minute passed and she was about to try again before the door swung open and Rainbow was met with the sight of Spike wearing his chef’s apron with some gem dust coating his scales and a surprised look on his face.
“Rainbow Dash? What are you doing here?”
“Spike? Sheesh, there you are. I’ve been looking for you and Twilight all morning,” she started. She poked her head through the door, looking around nervously for a certain lavender unicorn. “Hey look, Twilight doesn’t happen to be around, does she? I kinda need to talk to her about something important... alone, if you get me.”
Before Spike could answer she pushed her way through the doorway and into the store. Seeing no sign of Twilight anywhere, Rainbow visibly relaxed. Even though she knew she had to talk to her, it didn’t make the concept any more enthralling, especially after yesterday morning.
“Oh, I guess I’m also looking for Rarity. I said I’d stop by yesterday to pick something up and I totally forgot,” she said after a moment of silence. She just needed to play it cool as if nothing was wrong, figure out where Twilight was, and then go find her.
Another moment passed and the baby dragon had not uttered a single word.
“Spike what’s up with the silent treatment?” she asked, turning around to find the dragon standing resolutely in the open doorway, little arms folded across his chest with his brow furrowed and a pout upon his face.
Rainbow stood still and the uncomfortable silence dragged on before he huffed and closed the door behind him. “Rarity’s in Canterlot for the next couple of days doing some business with the hoity-toity ponies up there. She asked me to stop by Carousel Boutique to do a little cleaning up after one of her projects and to keep Sweetie Belle company until her parents come to pick her up later today.”
While he was talking, Rainbow couldn’t help but notice that he refused to make eye contact with her, preferring to go about his busy work. He sounded annoyed, tired, and frustrated.
As she watched him work, searching for any sign of what might be troubling him, she failed to noticed Sweetie Belle yawning as she blearily stumbled her way down the stairs.
“Oh... Well... I guess I’ll just have to pick up my order later,” Rainbow said, scratching the back of her neck with a hoof. The awkwardness of the conversation was almost unbearable, but she needed to know where to find Twilight and she’d bet her bottom bit that Spike knew where she was.
“I guess so,” Spike uttered simply.
“You still haven’t answered my question. Do you know where I can find Twilight?”
“Yeah,” he said, finally turning to face her and brushing his claws off on his apron. “But first I want to know what the hay’s going on between you two.”
Drat...
Rainbow had been hoping to avoid talking about this to anypony else. Her wings fluttered nervously and she backpedalled further into the clothing store.
“Eh heh, what? There isn’t anything going on between me and Twi’, Spike. I just wanted to talk to her about... something important,” she finished lamely, rubbing her foreleg with the other.
“Oh really?” Spike huffed, exasperated. “Come on Rainbow Dash, I’m not an idiot and you’re a really bad liar. I can tell something has happened between you and Twilight lately.”
Rainbow said nothing as her eyes wandered around the boutique, looking at everything but the dragon who had started walking towards her. Sweetie Belle had stopped at the base of the stairs, watching the scene unfold with avid interest.
He pointed an accusatory clawed finger at the pegasus in front of him. “Look, will you just tell me what’s going on? Twilight hasn’t said anything and I’m really getting worried about her. I mean, first you and Twi’ have been hanging out a whole bunch lately, which is great. She seemed really happy about that,” Spike began to list off on his clawed hand. Rainbow’s ears perked up. Even though she was still incredibly angry with the unicorn, she was still her friend and she cared about her and wanted to know what had happened to her.
“Second, she disappears two nights ago without telling me where she’s going and that she’d be back in the morning,” he continued to count off on his claws. Rainbow put on her best innocent grin, but it did nothing to deter the frustrated baby dragon.
“Third, that same night you come knocking, looking for her,” he listed as he continued to approach the pegasus.
“Four, I wake up yesterday morning and find her totally zonked out on the sofa next to her old Mare Do Well costume clutching a box wrapped in sky blue paper with a rainbow bow on it.”
Rainbow’s heart skipped a beat, her eyes widening and her heart sinking. As far as she was concerned, Spike had just confirmed her suspicions, and she could feel that pit of anger and despair form at her core again.
I knew it... but... What’s up with the box?
“And five, when I finish with helping Rarity on a gem hunt before her Canterlot trip I come back to an empty library and a note saying that Twilight went back home to Canterlot and that she didn’t know when she’d be back!” Spike finished, throwing his arms up in the air in frustration.
Rainbow’s jaw dropped. She couldn’t believe her ears.
“Twilight went where?!” she shouted in disbelief, her voice cracking as she grabbed Spike by the shoulders with her hooves.
Annoyed by the sudden invasion of his personal space, Spike squirmed out of the pegasus’ grip and brushed himself off once he was free, “She went back to her parents’ place in Canterlot, there were tear drops all of the parchment and I know that you were also looking for her yesterday morning too.”
Rainbow didn’t register a thing Spike had just said, she was still processing the fact that Twilight left Ponyville for Celestia knows how long because of what happened between the two of them.
She couldn’t help but ask herself, Is she really that upset over it?
The thought made her feel a small pang of guilt.
As Rainbow worked through the information, a dawning of realization graced Spike. He gasped silently as the dots connected in his mind, “Hang on a second... Does this have anything to do with Mare Do Well?”
Caught off-guard by the question, Rainbow managed to keep up the cool façade and articulated a well-executed, “Huh?”
“It does, doesn’t it!” Spike trumpeted victoriously. Rainbow’s silence was all the confirmation he needed. He jumped in the air and hoorahed at his genius before scratching his head in confusion. “Wait, but I thought you guys had all moved past the Mare Do Well thing after that camp out a couple weeks ago?”
“Well...yeah, but-”
“Then what’s the big deal?” Spike asked earnestly, interrupting Rainbow. “And what happened with Twilight yesterday morning?”
Rainbow sighed. She had been found out, and there wasn’t any point in trying to lie to Spike anymore. What’s done is done. “Uhh, I guess you could say, long story short, Twilight and I got into a fight yesterday after I saw her running around the night before in her Mare Do Well costume.” She paused to collect her thoughts. “And... Well I kinda bit her head off.”
“THAT’S what this is all about?” Spike facepalmed. “How is that enough to make you yell at Twilight badly enough to make her want to leave Ponyville?”
Rainbow, put on the defensive by Spike’s clear lack of understanding of the importance of the situation, prodded a hoof at the baby dragon, “Hey! You don’t get it at all Spike, when Twilight put on the Mare Do Well get-up, it did more than just hurt me! When I talked to her yesterday, she wouldn’t even admit that she did it!”
Spike and Rainbow were glaring daggers at each other, neither giving any ground. Spike stood resolute, staring up at Rainbow Dash, defending his honorary sister. Spike was about to counter before a small, tired voice interrupted the two.
“Of course she wouldn’t say she did it,” Sweetie Belle said from the base of the stairs, finally making her presence known to the pegasus and dragon.
Rainbow stared flabbergasted at the foal, “What?”
Sweetie Belle yawned and rubbed her tired eyes with a hoof. “She wouldn’t say it because she didn’t do it. She couldn’t have, unless she can be in two places at once.”
Rainbow regarded Sweetie with a look of confusion and frustration at the lack of explanation behind the unicorn’s words. The foal stood oblivious to Rainbow’s obvious restraint while Spike just looked at her with wonder, waiting for her to continue.
Finally, Rainbow relented, “What do you mean?”
“Twilight couldn’t have been Mare Do Well because she was here all night,” she answered simply, still not entirely coherent and awake.
Rainbow’s mind stopped and her blood ran cold as the implications of what Sweetie Belle was saying sunk in. She gaped, trying to find something to say in her defence.
Spike, who was far less impacted by what had just been said, spoke up, “Twilight was here? What was she doing?”
Sweetie put a hoof to her chin and chewed her bottom lip in thought, “Rarity said that she would be up really late with Twilight working on some project together. They were pretty noisy too. I think Twilight was getting all frustrated with how things were going, but she must have finished at some point, though I don’t think was until early in the morning.”
Sweetie hopped over to a nearby table where there were plans spread out and held down by various paperweights, “I think this is what they were working on.”
Dumbstruck, Rainbow half-walked, half-stumbled over to the table to examine the design. She gasped. It was a flight suit, specifically tailored to her own measurements and specifications. The design and patterns were unique, and the quality of the fabric would have allowed Rainbow to fly at even faster speeds with less drag and wind resistance. Next to the parchment was a white box with a lavender ribbon tied neatly on it with a small note on it that read ‘For Rainbow: I hope Twilight likes it.’
It was... Awesome.
She tentatively placed a hoof on the drawing of the flight suit. She didn’t know what to think, nor what to say.
“Twilight... stayed up all night... to make this for me?” she whispered, barely audible to the foal and baby dragon.
The two exchanged confused looks. Spike stepped forward, “Yeah, I guess that explains a lot. Hey, are you okay Rainbow?”
Rainbow didn’t hear him. Her mind was reeling, and it felt as if the room was spinning. She steadied herself against the table as it all began to make sense. The broken window in Twilight’s house... the confusion on Twilight’s face... the innocence in her voice... Twilight...
“No... no. No no no no!” Rainbow cried as she grabbed her head between her hooves, blinking away tears.
She had made the biggest mistake of her life, and she may have just pushed Twilight away for good.
Why couldn’t I just believe her?! Of course Twilight would never do something like that to me! What was I thinking?!
And now, she pushed Twilight away. A pony that she truly, deeply cared about that felt the same towards her. She was happy when she was around Twilight. She felt safe when she was there. And she let her own paranoia ruin that.
“Rainbow Dash?” Spike asked as he prodded her in the side with a claw. He looked down at the trembling pony and shared a glance of concern with Sweetie Belle who was still confused as to what was going on.
The poke snapped Rainbow out of her reverie, “Spike! Where’s Twilight’s parents’ house?! I need to see her right away before it’s too late!”
Spike fell backwards at the sudden change in disposition of the pegasus. Trembling, he reached into his apron and pulled out the note that Twilight had left for him at the library.
“H-here, the address is written down on this note in case I forgot it and needed to send Twilight something,” he stuttered out, getting back to his feet. “But Rainbow, what’s going on?”
Grabbing the note in her mouth and taking the box in her forehooves, she flew out the window, her muffled yell fading as she faded away in the distance.
“No time to explain, but I gotta go!”
Her sights set on Canterlot, Rainbow’s mind was focused on one thing.
She was going to find Twilight, and she was going to fix this.
Rainbow paced in front of a small house in the residential area of Canterlot, checking for the umpteenth time that she had the right address. She had walked around the entire neighbourhood twice before she forced herself to stop. She looked at the hastily scrawled note left by Twilight, then up to the building in front of her. There was no doubting it; this was where Twilight grew up before she went to live in the palace as Celestia’s star pupil.
A white picket fence surrounded a carefully mowed and well-tended lawn. A little garden bloomed around the house, clearly well-cared for by a pony with a green hoof. The house itself was two stories tall, painted white and purple, as were most buildings in Canterlot. A cobblestone path wound its way from the gate, through the lawn and garden, to the front door. A mailbox at the end of the pathway read “Residence of Mr. & Mrs. Sparkle.” It was a humble house in a city full of nobles.
Tentatively, Rainbow reached out towards the gate as if it were electrified. She undid the latch, and treaded the cobblestone path as one would a minefield. After an eternity, she reached the front door. She raised a hoof to knock, her hoof halting in mid-knock.
If Twilight had come home in tears because of her, she would be the last pony Twilight would want to see right now, and that went double for her parents. She considered leaving. She could wait for a few days until Twilight calmed down some.
No. I need to fix this now. After everything I’ve done, I owe her the chance to not accept my apology.
Rainbow glanced at her reflection in the window nearby, and quickly set to straightening out her mane with a hoof as much as possible. She took a deep breath, stood squarely on her hooves, forced her wings to fold in neatly at her sides, and before she had the chance to lose her nerve, Rainbow rapidly knocked four times on the door.
The door was answered by a unicorn mare with a pale grey coat and a purple and white-striped mane styled in a way similar to Twilight’s. She regarded Rainbow with a knowing stare behind cool blue eyes. Her cutie mark was three purple stars that matched her daughter’s coat perfectly.
It didn’t take a pony of Twilight’s calibre to figure out who this mare was.
Nervously, Rainbow cleared her throat and did her best to maintain a calm disposition as she introduced herself, “Um, hi. You must be Twilight’s mom, I’m-”
“I know who you are,” the unicorn interrupted coolly, her brow furrowing as she looked down on Rainbow.
Rainbow shrunk under the intense gaze of a parent who was defending her child. “Eheh, you do?” she asked in a small voice, though she knew the answer.
Mrs. Sparkle snorted, “Yes. You must be Rainbow Dash, the weather coordinator from Ponyville that I’ve heard so much about.” She leaned down to eye-level with Rainbow Dash. Her gaze bored into Rainbow’s soul, shredding any confidence she managed to muster. “You broke my daughter’s heart. Now, leave. You’ve done enough damage already, don’t you think?”
Rainbow cringed as she spoke, desperately wanting to just take off and leave this place in the distance as she rocketed back to the safety of her cloud house.
She couldn’t though. She wouldn’t go home until she at least had a chance to see Twilight.
Just as Twilight’s mother was about to slam the door shut, Rainbow stopped it with a hoof. She flinched in pain as her hoof was trapped between the door and its frame, but she stood her ground. “Wait a sec, Mrs. Sparkle! Please, just let me see Twilight!”
Mrs. Sparkle’s eyes narrowed and gave Rainbow another heated glare, “Why should I? You hurt my daughter more than anypony has, and you expect me to let you waltz in and make things worse?”
Rainbow, at a loss for words, gaped as her eyes darted left and right, grasping for anything to say that might make her change her mind. “P-please, I’m sorry for what happened with Twilight. But I’m begging you here, let me try and fix it.”
Mrs. Sparkle stopped and looked into Rainbow’s eyes that shone with determination and desperation. She examined the pegasus before her carefully, and Rainbow could almost hear the gears turning in her head.
“Why should I give you a second chance?” she scrutinized, watching every movement Rainbow made.
“Because... because...” Rainbow thought to herself why she should be given another chance after messing up so badly, “...because I screwed up. I couldn’t let go of the past, even after everything Twilight did for me, and because of it I ended up hurting one of the most important ponies... No, the most important pony, in my life.”
Rainbow’s confidence and determination grew with every word she spoke up to the point where she stood tall before Twilight’s mother, hoof still holding the door open.
“Please, I need to make things right. If Twilight hates me, then she hates me, but I need to at least try. I’m not leaving until I see her, and there’s nothing you can do about that,” Rainbow finished, puffing her wings out and planting her haunches firmly on the ground.
Twilight’s mother scrutinized her, neither pony flinching or willing to give any ground. Rainbow simply stared back defiantly; convinced that she could work things out if she could at least get Twilight to listen to her.
A minute passed, then another, and then another.
Eventually Mrs. Sparkle’s gaze softened, and she shook her head lightly, chuckling to herself all the while. Rainbow blinked at her, confused by the sudden change in her cool demeanor.
“By all rights as her mother, I should personally be throwing you back on the train to Ponyville,” she started. Rainbow gulped, waiting for a lecture on why she should leave and never return. Twilight’s mother smiled sadly at her, “I can see why she fell for you now. Words can never truly do justice to what the heart feels.”
Rainbow’s cheeks and ears burned and her pupils shrunk to pinpricks, “Wait, what did you say?”
Turning her back to the pegasus, Twilight’s mother retreated back into the house. “I’m afraid you won’t find her here. Though, you may want to try your luck at the Royal Gardens of the Canterlot Palace. I’ve heard the lilacs are in bloom, and quite a sight to see. You may just see her there if you hurry,” she called out over her shoulder.
The door shut behind her, but by the time it closed, all that could be seen of Rainbow Dash was a prismatic blur racing off in the direction of the palace.
Twilight Sparkle sat in the Royal Gardens of the Canterlot Palace, surrounded by flora of all varieties. White petunias and golden dandelions swayed delicately in the afternoon breeze. Dark blue nightshades and bright red poppies shimmered in the light. Orchids of all kinds gracefully flowered in the splendor of Celestia’s sun.
It was Twilight’s favourite spot in all of Canterlot, save for the library. Whenever she felt depressed or stressed, she would come out here and bask in the warmth of the afternoon sun and inhale the fragrance of more flowers than she could count and her worries would melt away.
The lilacs were in bloom. They were Twilight’s favourite flower, and this was her favourite time of the year. Normally, she’d find herself dozing with a slight grin on her face as she lay in the gardens.
This was not a normal situation for her.
Her head hung low, she sighed wistfully as she idly stroked a lilac gently, her mind forcefully replaying her confrontation with Rainbow from yesterday. Her stomach churned. On the one hoof, she was entirely heartbroken by Rainbow’s tirade, and the thought of her face contorted in anger made Twilight whimper.
She had never been so devastated in her life.
On the other hoof, she hated herself for not being able to say where she was. She didn’t even need to tell Rainbow the whole story, just that she was over at Rarity’s all night. But no, she was too scared to even do that. Her own cowardice drove the mare she cared about more than anypony else away.
She had never been so disappointed with herself.
And now she sat alone, heartbroken and wallowing in her grief. If she was capable, she would have most likely been crying, yet she had not a single tear left to shed. Her parents had welcomed her home with open hoofs, as any good parent would, but they could do little to comfort her.
What Twilight needed now was time... Time, and maybe one last chance to apologize to Rainbow Dash. Though while the very thought of seeing that gorgeous filly with the rainbow wind-swept mane used to excite her and make her heart swell, it now made her feel empty and confused.
Rainbow had effectively stomped on Twilight’s heart, shattering it into tiny fragments. Yet, through it all Twilight still cared for her, still wanted to be with her, though now it would never happen. If her chances were slim before, now they were non-existent.
Emotional exhaustion overtaking her, Twilight lay down on her stomach on the cool grass. With a blank stare she nudged the lilac in front of her with a hoof.
Maybe it would be best to leave Ponyville for good and come back to Canterlot...
How can you say that? The Princess sent you to Ponyville to study friendship! Speaking of, how can you just abandon your friends?
I wouldn’t be abandoning them, I’d just be moving away. I’d still write to them and see them every now and then. This happens all the time...
You’re happiest when you’re there with you friends, with Rainbow Dash.
But I can’t go back now! Not after what happened with Rainbow... How can I?
Why don’t you just go and talk to her about it?
Like she’d even give me the time of day now...
Twilight’s inner quarrel was interrupted by a disturbance in the wind and soft flapping of wings, alerting her to another pony’s presence. She sighed, but didn’t budge. The last thing Twilight wanted to do was to talk with anypony. She just wanted to be left alone to wallow in her misery.
Twilight’s ears twitched as she heard the pony that had just arrived take a step forwards, towards her. Then another, and another, and another. Whoever had just arrived was heading right for her. She stayed still, hoping that whoever it was would ignore her and move along.
The hoofsteps stopped a mere few feet from Twilight’s current position.
“...Twilight?” a familiar raspy voice softly called.
Twilight froze, she would recognize that voice anywhere. Panic began to overtake her as her mind raced through what she could possibly be doing here... or for that matter how she found her. She held her breath as she heard the pony shuffle on her hooves, her back still facing her.
“I... I know you probably don’t want to talk to me, I wouldn’t want to either,” the voice sputtered, giving a forced chuckle at her vain attempt at humor. She cleared her throat and continued. “So... Let me do the talking then, alright? You can just listen, because... because there’s something I need to say. And... and after I’ve said it, if you want, I’ll leave and never come back. I just really need to tell you this.”
Twilight lifted her head and nodded silently, still not entirely believing who was talking to her.
“I just-” she paused as she searched for the right words, “I just wanted to say that I’m sorry... for everything.”
She’s sorry?
Twilight turned her head to look at the pegasus for the first time, eyes widened in shock. She was met with the sight of Rainbow Dash, her gaze turned down to the right and rubbing her leg with a hoof. She looked as nervous as she did the day of the Best Young Flyer’s Competition.
Rainbow glanced up at her, then immediately away, as if she were ashamed of something. After a moment passed she continued, voice steadily getting stronger.
“After what happened with Mare Do Well two weeks ago, you dragged me out of my shell, something nopony else has ever really been able to do. You made me better,” she said with a small smile. “And I guess that’s why I exploded the way I did when I thought you were Mare Do Well the other night.”
Twilight was hanging off of the pegasus’ every word, careful not to miss a single thing that she said.
“But... but I should have known that you, especially you, wouldn’t do something like that,” Rainbow continued, eyes downcast. Twilight could feel her heart beginning to swell and the ghost of a smile threatened to tug at the corners of her lips.
“I should have believed you... but I didn’t, and I don’t even know why, or what was going through my head. It’s just... ugh!” Rainbow cried. “I’m so bad at this... This is all a huge mess and it’s all my fault. I’m so, so sorry Twilight.”
Twilight made to stand up, “Rainbow, I-”
Rainbow cut her off with a pleading look, “Wait a second Twi’, I’m not done yet, and I really need to say this next part. I know I’m already asking a lot... but... please?”
Twilight lay back down and gestured for Rainbow to continue. As she looked into her eyes she could see the gleam of remorse, and a spark of... hope?
“It wasn’t until this morning, when I found out that you left Ponyville without so much as a goodbye, that I realized... that I realized...” Rainbow fumbled for the words, a small blush colouring her cheeks. “That I realized how important you are... to me, and how much of an idiot I’ve been.”
Quietly, Twilight stood up, her heart soaring, and crept towards Rainbow Dash as the pegasus hid her face with her bangs, oblivious to Twilight’s approach.
“I talked to Sweetie Belle and Spike today too, and they told me where you really were last night. Twilight, I can’t begin to tell you how sorry I am. Can you forgive m-” Rainbow’s apology was cut short by a purple hoof gently placed over her lips. She followed the hoof to its owner and saw nothing but care in Twilight’s watering eyes.
Twilight gingerly moved her hoof away from Rainbow’s mouth, the latter’s heart beating wildly in her chest, and placed it over Rainbow’s hoof.
“It’s okay, I should have told you where I was instead of trying to hide behind some lie,” Twilight consoled. “I-I was too scared to even tell you where I was. I know you heard from Sweetie Belle, but I want you to hear it from me.”
She could feel her heartbeat accelerating and a blush form on her cheeks. “Rainbow, I...” she paused, caught in the hypnotic gaze of the pegasus right in front of her who was listening intently to what she had to say. “Rainbow I couldn’t have been... you-know-who... because I spent the night at Rarity’s working on something for you. I should have told you earlier... but I couldn’t put it into words exactly.”
Twilight paused to gauge Rainbow’s reaction. She had been hanging off of every word she said the same way Twilight had mere moments ago. Twilight took a deep breath to steady herself and her horn hummed with magical power as she levitated a rectangular box wrapped in sky blue paper. The box hovered over to Rainbow and was delicately placed in front of her.
Rainbow took this as her cue, and carefully removed the wrapping paper, lifting the lid of the box delicately to peer inside.
She gasped.
Though she had seen the designs before, no drawing could do the flight suit justice. The fabric was light and strong, able to resist wear and tear at Rainbow’s top speeds yet wouldn’t weigh her down. It was light blue, slightly paler than her coat, and sported her cutie mark on either side.
“Rarity helped, obviously, but I wanted to do most of the work myself so I could try and show you... how important you are to me, how much you mean to me.”
Rainbow, staring in wonder at the gift, slowly replaced the lid on the box, before looking up to Twilight at a loss for words.
Twilight smiled sadly, “I should have just told you right away.”
Rainbow shook her head, “No, it’s not okay. I hurt you Twi’, more than you and the girls ever hurt me with the Mare Do Well thing. And because I couldn’t let go of it, I almost pushed you away for good.”
“Rainbow...”
Rainbow looked up to Twilight, a look of desperation in her eyes. She reached forward and rubbed Twilight’s cheek with a hoof. Twilight saw something spark in her eye, and a smile tugged at the corner of Rainbow’s mouth.
“Can I at least make it up to you?” she asked hopefully.
Twilight could feel her brow furrow as she regarded Rainbow with a quizzical look. After a few seconds, she could feel herself relax and giggled softly for the first time in what felt like ages.
“Okay, what did you have in mind, Rainbow?”
Rainbow smiled widely and earnestly, and placed her other hoof over Twilight’s, “How about... How about you let me take you out... You know, like a date?”
Twilight’s blush peaked. “A-a date? As in, just the two of us? Alone? Together? Doing something?”
Rainbow’s smile never faltered as she nodded slowly, her own blush returning. “Yeah, just you and me. How does tomorrow night sound?”
“Really?” Twilight deadpanned, trying to hold back an amused grin. “You ask me out on a date on my birthday and you take me bowling?” She asked as Rainbow led her to their own lane she reserved for the two at the Ponyville Bowlarama. A few other ponies flitted about, getting food or taking turns at the lane, but it was largely empty.
Rainbow turned around to face Twilight, a nervous look on her face. “Umm, yes?” Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Well, I thought about what we could do, and this seemed, ya know, different. Something extraordinary for an extraordinary mare. Plus, I booked out most of the whole bowlarama just for us!” she added with a wide smile, hoping that she hadn’t already screwed up.
Twilight stifled a giggle behind a hoof. “It’s okay Rainbow, I love it. I haven’t been bowling in years,” she said as she passed the pegasus, lifting a ball with her magic. She looked over her shoulder to see the pegasus visibly relax and let out a breath of relief, her wings dropping to her sides. Twilight let out another short giggle.
“Now come on Rainbow, let’s bowl. I’ll take the first go?”
Rainbow smiled and stood behind Twilight. “Sure, it is your birthday after all. I’ll let you have the first go so you don’t give up right away,” she added with a cocky smile.
Twilight loved that smile, though she wasn’t about to give up that easily. She stuck her tongue out at Rainbow, who only chuckled at the childish action. Twilight turned back to the bowling lane, and focused her aim. She held the ball aloft in front of her as she lined up the ball with the pins. She ran forwards, stopping just before the foul line, and let the ball loose from her magical grip. The ball rolled down the lane with practiced aim, hitting the center pin just off-center resulting in a perfect strike.
Rainbow stared slack-jawed as the white pins toppled one after the other, Twilight turning back to her with a smug grin. She didn’t move as Twilight walked back towards her, and only reacted when Twilight flicked her playfully on the nose with her tail. “Looks like you’re up Rainbow.”
Rainbow shook her head, sneezing after being flicked on the snout, and smiled challengingly at the unicorn. “Oh, is that how it is? I’m so gonna kick your butt Sparkle, birthday or not.”
The two bowled late into the night, matching each other strike for strike, spare for spare, laughing all the while and simply enjoying being in each other’s presence. It was nonsensical; bowling shouldn’t have been romantic or appropriate for a first date at all according to the books Twilight had read, but she didn’t care. Twilight couldn’t have been happier. After everything that had happened, here she was, on a date with the mare of her dreams, and she couldn’t remember the last time she had seen Rainbow so carefree. It was as if a weight that had been holding her down had finally been lifted.
After Rainbow paid, the two left to bask in a moonlit walk back to the library, both tired beyond belief but still giggling and laughing with each other. Despite their mutual exhaustion, they were giddy to still be with each other for even just a little longer.
A cool night wind blew past, making Twilight shiver as her body tried to warm itself. A lightbulb went off in Rainbow’s head as she saw her date shake in the cold.
“Oh! I almost forgot! I got you something for your birthday Twi’! Hang on a sec,” Rainbow said as she began rummaging through her saddlebags. “You’re gonna love it!”
Twilight watched her dig through her bags, teeth chattering in the cool night air. “O-o-oh R-Rainbow, you d-didn’t have to g-g-get me anything. The b-bowling was more than enough.”
Rainbow lifted her head from her saddlebags, a look of disbelief decorating her face. “What? Are you kidding me? Of course I’m gonna get something for the prettiest mare I know on her birthday!”
Twilight blushed, and her ears flattened against her head. “You... you think I’m pretty?”
Rainbow fished a small white box with a single purple ribbon from her bag, placing it down in front of Twilight. “No, I don’t think you’re just ‘pretty,’ I think that you’re the prettiest mare in Ponyville, if not all of Equestria.” She placed her hoof over Twilight’s, causing her to lift her head, her eyes sparkling with joy and affection. Twilight watched as Rainbow smiled and led her hoof to her present. “Now go on and open it, will ya?”
Giggling, Twilight slowly undid the ribbon with her magic, levitating out of the box a pure white scarf decorated with purple stripes and pink highlights, her cutie mark embroidered on the end. In the moonlight it glittered as if several tiny stars were interwoven into the fabric.
“Wow... Rainbow... it’s beautiful. I don’t know what to say,” Twilight said softly as she wrapped the scarf around her neck.
“Not as beautiful as it looks on you,” Rainbow said earnestly as she put the empty box back in her saddlebags.
Twilight blushed again. “Stop it Rainbow, you’re making me blush,” she said playfully bumping Rainbow’s side.
“How do you know that isn’t my plan?” Rainbow chuckled as another cool night breeze made Twilight shiver. “Still cold?”
“Maybe just a little,” Twilight laughed, a sheepish smile on her face.
“Here,” Rainbow whispered as she draped a wing over Twilight’s back, pulling her close, “allow me.”
Twilight snuggled into the pegasus, revelling in the warmth she provided as the two walked back to the library. When the two finally reached their destination, Rainbow begrudgingly lifted her wing from Twilight’s back, already missing the presence of the unicorn next to her.
“Well...” Rainbow started, “here we are.”
“Yeah...” Twilight smiled, still on a high from her night with Rainbow. “Thank you for a wonderful night Rainbow, I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun.” She moved to unlock the door, only to find that it opened when she placed her hoof on it.
“That’s strange... I could have sworn I locked up behind me,” Twilight said, cautiously opening the door wider, Rainbow standing right behind her, ready to jump into action at a moment’s notice.
As she opened the door, Twilight gasped. “Rainbow... the Mare Do Well costume... It’s gone.”
“Gone? What do you mean ‘gone’?”
“I mean it’s gone. I left it folded up on the table so you and I could get rid of it together and move past this. But now... It’s gone.”
Twilight and Rainbow shared a confused and concerned glance, before they turned to look for any signs of whoever may have taken the outfit.
“Rainbow! Over there!” Twilight shouted as she pointed to a nearby rooftop with a hoof. Rainbow followed the hoof to see Mare Do Well watching them both quietly from above, the same expressionless mask staring down at them. Mare Do Well reigned up on her hind legs, kicking her front legs forward before she turned and galloped, leaping from rooftop to rooftop into the distance.
“Should we go after her?” Twilight asked from Rainbow’s side, watching her date’s expression for any indication. She saw surprise, disbelief, and even a small flash of anger, before Rainbow’s face settled into an expression of calm acceptance.
She turned to face Twilight, “Nah, I’ve already almost lost you once because of her. I think... I think I’ve finally let it go, Twilight. I’m done with Mare Do Well, she won’t be haunting me anymore.”
Twilight smiled proudly at her, leaning in to nuzzle her, “I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks Twi’. I’ll see you tomorrow?” Rainbow asked, returning the nuzzle.
“Of course,” Twilight smiled. As Rainbow began to turn away she called out to her, “Rainbow? Aren’t you forgetting something?”
Rainbow turned to look at Twilight, brow furrowed in confusion. She saw that Twilight was blushing and pawing the ground with a hoof. “Huh? What do you mean?”
Twilight stepped forward, levitating her scarf off of her neck and wrapping it around both her and Rainbow, entwining the two. Her blush only grew as she saw a blush beginning to colour Rainbow’s cheeks, “You forgot to kiss me goodnight.”
“Oh, right,” Rainbow chuckled as she leaned in to peck Twilight on the cheek, her own blush staining her cheeks a bright red visible even in the night.
Twilight giggled, the intensity of her own blush matching Rainbow’s, “Nice try Dashie, but you missed.”
“Huh?”
Any questions Rainbow might have had were lost as Twilight leaned in to kiss Rainbow, sending a jolt of electricity traveling down the length of her spine to her wingtips. Rainbow melted into the kiss, running a hoof through Twilight’s mane and pulling her closer.
Only one thought was present in Twilight’s mind amongst the bliss she was experiencing:
Best birthday ever.
From the glimmering rooftops of Canterlot, a single pony darted between the ramparts and towering heights of the royal palace. Mare Do Well, melded into the darkness, effortlessly jumped, leaped, and teleported her way up the castle, sights set on a single balcony above. The guards passed by her unaware as she stalked her way through the night.
Checking to make sure there was nopony in sight, Mare Do Well made the final teleport to her destination. The balcony was empty save for a large violet cushion and telescope.
She surrounded her hat in a navy blue glow and slowly levitated it off of her head, soon followed by the rest of her ensemble. As the last of the garment left her body, the pony’s entire form was enveloped by the same magical aura. Her legs, torso, and horn grew and two large dark blue wings sprouted from her sides, fully outstretched.
As her navy blue mane was swept up in an unseen ethereal wind, Princess Luna moaned as her muscles stretched in relief, finally free of the restricting shape-altering spell. She sighed in bliss as she collapsed onto her waiting pillow, eyelids drooping closed as exhaustion seeped into her body and mind.
“Busy night, Lulu?” A voice called from within her personal chambers.
Luna jumped from her comfortable spot on her cushion and whirled around midair to find Celestia calmly striding out of Luna’s bedchambers, a knowing smile visible underneath the light of the full moon.
“Oh, sister, it is you,” Luna gasped out, relieved. “Erm, yes. I have had a very... eventful evening thus far patrolling my night, and was hoping to get some much needed rest. Do you mind?” she asked, gesturing for Celestia to take her leave.
“Do not take me for a foal, Luna,” Celestia warned. “I know very well your activities as of late.”
“I have no idea what you are talking about ‘Tia,” Luna said innocently.
Nodding her head, Celestia calmly walked to the edge of the balcony and pointed to the Mare Do Well costume still lying in a heap from when Luna returned with a smile, “If you intend on fooling me, dear sister, then next time I recommend not leaving any incriminating evidence out in the open.”
Luna’s mouth opened in a silent ‘o’ and she silently cursed her own naivety. “Very well, you have caught me in the act,” Luna sighed and raised her foorhooves in an act of submission. “I admit it, I was the Mysterious Mare Do Well that appeared to both Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle. But what does it matter? They have both moved on, as they should.”
Celestia paused a moment as she regarded the costume before her, “It matters, Lulu. By playing the role of Mare Do Well, you almost drove the two apart for good.”
“But I didn’t!” Luna protested, pointing a hoof at her sister. “Because of Mare Do Well, the two are together now, their bond stronger than ever, and they couldn’t be happier!”
“My point still stands, little sister,” Celestia countered, turning to face Luna directly. “The ends do not always justify the means. Yes, young Twilight and Rainbow may have had a happy ending this time, but they nearly lost a friendship that they both cherished dearly in the meantime. And all because of your interference.”
“It is because of my interference that young Sparkle and Rainbow Dash are together now.”
“And you think that they would not have eventually come to realize their feelings for each other on their own?”
Luna sighed, and looked to her older sister with a look mixed with guilt and defiance, “No... I do not believe they would have. I see all that happens in my night, sister, and peer into the dreams of our little ponies. Twilight Sparkle dreamed of being with Rainbow Dash, but would not have been able to gather the strength needed to ask.’”
Celestia stood stoic, listening to every word Luna spoke carefully, her practiced mask of neutrality holding strong.
“And Rainbow Dash had yet to realize her own feelings for your student, and she had not yet moved passed the Mare Do Well incident. They both needed a little... ‘push’ as it were.”
“I understand, but your ‘push’ almost pushed them apart entirely. Never before have I seen my student so heartbroken, Lulu. I have watched Twilight grow up from a young age, and have become very close to her. You can sympathize with why this is of importance to me.”
Luna sat quietly for a moment, not a word passing between the two, “Yes, what I did was... risky, but you must admit that everything did work out in the end. I even broke the window and left hooftracks to make it easy for them to see that somepony else must have broken in and taken the costume.”
Celestia maintained her mask of indifference, staring down at her sister expectantly as a teacher would a child.
Luna sighed, she hated it when Celestia looked at her like that. “Be reasonable, ‘Tia. I took every precaution to ensure that it would have been blindingly obvious that Twilight was not Mare Do Well. And you must admit that your student has never been happier. But very well, I will not pull another stunt such as this again.”
Celestia smiled and leaned down to nuzzle her sister. “Thank you Luna,” she said with a small laugh.
Luna was dumbstruck. “So you are not...angry with me, Celestia?”
“Of course not, dearest sister. I simply wanted to hear the truth from you, face to face. I have watched Twilight for nearly all of her life, and I have never seen her so happy as she is right now,” she answered, her horn charging with power and illuminating a mirror in the adjacent room. In the mirror, Luna could see the images of Twilight and Rainbow locked in a loving embrace under the light of the moon.
Luna could only smile at the sight.
“I shall leave you to retire for the night now. Pleasant dreams, dear sister. I shall see you in the morning,” Celestia finished, enveloping the discarded costume in her golden magic. “Though I will be taking this to be sealed away. It has served its purpose and I see no reason for it to ever see the light of day again.”
“Yes, good night, dearest sister. I expect that you shall receive some interesting friendship reports from Twilight and Rainbow Dash tomorrow.”
As Celestia walked past the mirror, she stole one last glance at the two and smiled at the display of young love.
“Yes... I expect I shall.”
Also LikedSimilarAuthor
- Timaeus · 19k words · 560 22 · 7.5k views
- Tavi n Scratch · 5.5k words · 451 15 · 8k views
- Timaeus · 5.7k words · 428 23 · 8k views
- The DJ Rainbow Dash · 14k words · 387 18 · 6.7k views
- The DJ Rainbow Dash · 7.1k words · 391 18 · 7.6k views
- elPossenreisser · 7.1k words · 409 10 · 6.2k views
- The DJ Rainbow Dash · 27k words · 470 19 · 5.8k views
Stats
Page generated in 0.217 seconds
Total duration
948 users online
1,479,783 hits today, 2,782,760 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Yeah right, more than likely that Celestia will be wearing it when no one's looking.
Thank you for such an awesome story
i loved it! now we need a sequel about how their relationship grows and is tested, how ponyville reacts to another gay couple, and how their friends react to their relationship! and whatever else you could think of.
I read all of your Twidash stories and i must say that i loved them all ... I'm really hoping to see more of your works... Keep the good job...
2573929
I'm with you on that... I would really love a secuel to this story...
Very nice ending to a very nice story. Good job! Although for you and Subsolar both, and everyone else who struggled to complete their stories, it was probably a mad dash to get it finished in time. I probably couldn't have done it. Congratulations!
A nice wrap up to a very nice story.
Definitely a more ambitious tale than Tomorrow Spring is Here, and it benefits very strongly from that.
I will have to side with Celestia, though. That plan of Luna's was boneheaded at best.
am I mad that the story is over? Yes. am I happy with the ending yes.
2573929
I shall join you in wanting a sequel, for I feel it would be quite a good story.
I liked this story, it was good
Though I was right in the end, it didn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure out Twilight was innocent, but I wasn't expecting it to be Princess Luna with a high risk matchmakers plan. Geez Luna, that was a very risky plan indeed.
I can't wait to see who wins the contest!
Editor Ferret guarentees this story 100% grammatically correct. Editor Ferret approves of story, and shall now return to his hole.
<3 DarqFox
Proud Editor Ferret of this story
this...this was awesome.goog job
Two problems with the ending.
1: Why where none of Twilights friends around to celebrate her birthday?
2: The explanation as to who Mare Do Well was and why she did what she did is unsatisfying and illogical. There are so many other and better ways this could have been approached that don't involve Mare Do Well and even with the costume there are tons of ways the conflict between Twilight and Rainbow could have either been avoided or resolved a lot quicker.
I liked the story ok, but the ending, in my opinion, let's it down a bit.
I wonder who mare do well is..
FUKIN LUNA CURVE-BALL!
Kind of unsatisfying MDW reveal. Nice story, though.
2575326 2575150 2574153
Yeah, that part especially was rushed in formation and execution on my part, but that's largely because I ran out of time and needed to get this up. In another universe where I planned things out better this would have been a more satisfying reveal of MDW. It is definitely the weakest point in this chapter, and I'm not as happy with it as I could be. And had I not been suffering from insanity while writing this over the span of 2 days (edited in half a day, I owe my editors BIG), I probably would have mentioned that Twilight and her friends celebrated in the day and Rainbow took her out for a date afterwards at night, or something along those lines.
2573861
GET OUT OF MY HEAD
2573929 2574008 2574221
But we'll see...
A sequel? Guys, give me a break, I feel near comatose from pumping this out so quickly
2573894 2574128 2574183 2574487
Thank you all so much!
OH MY GOD I really did think that it was Trixe for a moment because she is a turd but then it was Luna, and I was like HOLY LIVING FUCK SHIT!!!!
2575797
But I want moooar!
But no, if you do write a sequel to this I'd definitely read/follow it
it was too cute not to. 
Pretty satisfying conclusion overall. The only complaint I have is the the MDW reveal, but given the size of the chapters and the time constraints it still came out really good.
Story as a whole was good. Ending unsatisfying. Everything is building up nicely, but then luna goes all bonehead and fucks up everything. I have never been more annoyed with luna.
Dear Princess Celestia
Rainbow Dash is a amazing lover
Your faithful student, Twilight sparkle
____________________________________________________
Dear P. Celestia
Wow, Twilight have some kinky fetishes
Your amazing student, Rainbow Dash
2578304 2578392
Yeah...as I said above, it's the one thing I'm not incredibly happy with about this. It is easily the weakest point in the fic, and given more time and planning could have been handled a lot better. I apologize.
2578755
Well... that was...
AWESOME!
Love it, you totally nailed two of the biggest problems I had with the MDW episode, the way Dash's friends acted, and the way she just accepted it at the end.
Seeing Dash actually vent about the issue was great, and seeing her and her friends discuss it (even through flashback) brought just the right amount of closure to the issue.
Oh, but you couldn't leave it there could you? No. No you had something else in mind... something far more sinister..er, great! I meant great!
The middle chapter was filled with so many little feels, everything was going so well for those adorable ponies... and then bam! MDW is back?!
I was way beyond curious as to how that was going to go. Was MDW really Twilight? Everything pointed to somepony breaking into the library, but teleporting has always been Twi's signature thing. I thought maybe Trixie had come back and stolen the costume for some reason.
The final chapter was great. All that drama, the slow building realization of what exactly Twilight meant to Dash, and then the reveal that Dash had been wrong, and lashed out at Twilight for nothing. It was all great, and so amazingly well written. Then, finally, our two heroes meet again, and all those feels just wash over everything like a tidal wave.
And while the part with Luna at the end I was kind of like
, I still thought it fit the rest of the story. I've just put it in my head cannon that Luna had been watching these two and their dreams since at least the Mare Do Well incident, and was trying to be a good friend by helping them, not only get together, but to move on from an event that still haunted them.
Which, in the end, is what this story is really about. Moving on, learning to forgive, and as your title so succinctly states, learning to let go. Bravo sir, bravo!
2575797 You know you want to write a fic where Celestia gives into temptation and dons the costume.
2655645
<.<
>.>
...
...
Hush, don't let the others know.
2784986
Welp, things may have been missed, and I can definitely agree that the writing is by far the best. I could have handled things a lot differently/better, but with the constraints of the contest this was written for, I had to push things forward a bit faster than I could have otherwise. I'd need to re-watch the episode (again) for myself but I don't think it was ever clear who instigated the plan, just that it happened. I hope the rest doesn't disappoint, and thank you for the input, I very much appreciate it.
As questionable as Luna's actions were (which I think may be justified due to her still learning appropriate social behavior), I have to say this is my favourite chapter of the story. It was very well wrapped up.
No real complaints or suggestions for this one.
Great story! I think you captured Twilight and Rainbow Dash very well in this story.
I'm on a spree of re-reading fics today, and this one caught my eye after reading one too many sad fics. I also just realized I never commented on the last chapter, allow me to fix that now.
The wrap up was just about as good as could be hoped for in this story. I loved what you had them do as a date (Bowling FTW!) and all of the interactions throughout the chapter. I love how you characterized both Twilight in the garden and Twilights mother. Though Luna's plan may have been a bit... risky, I think we can all agree that it was a good thing. I have to agree; after reading the first chapter I don't think they would have ended up together had nothing been done. But, ya know, that's my opinion from a single chapter. I loved this story, from it's writing, to it's dialogue, down to the core of it's plot. Clearly well thought out and well written, even if there are still a few typos and mistakes dotted about. Limited time as it was though, I can't expect everything to be caught in editing.
In the end, good story, good plot, amazing everything. Just amazing.
Somehow I think Luna just telling Rainbow Dash that Twilight liked her would have led to the same conclusion with less hurt. Might not have made her move on from Mare Do Well though.
I liked Rainbow Dash's 'monologue' with Tank as well as these lines;
'the first fingers of dawn crawled their way over the horizon and through her open window,'
'Even by her standards, Rainbow Dash looked horrible,'
'“What’s your problem?” she grumbled to her new pet,'
'Annoyed by the sudden invasion of his personal space,'
'He jumped in the air and hoorahed at his genius,'
'Tentatively, Rainbow reached out towards the gate as if it were electrified. She undid the latch, and treaded the cobblestone path as one would a minefield,'
'White petunias and golden dandelions swayed delicately in the afternoon breeze. Dark blue nightshades and bright red poppies shimmered in the light. Orchids of all kinds gracefully flowered in the splendor of Celestia’s sun,'
'She had never been so disappointed with herself,'
'Twilight could feel her heart beginning to swell and the ghost of a smile threatened to tug at the corners of her lips,'
'Twilight flicked her playfully on the nose with her tail'
and
'It was as if a weight that had been holding her down had finally been lifted.'
I noticed two jarring repetitions;
'dreading the encounter' soon followed by 'She dreaded this encounter'
and
two 'scrutinized' in close succession.
You wrote 'hoofs' instead of 'hooves' three times.
LUNA YOU BITCH! THAT WASN'T ANY BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL MARE DO WELL PLAN!
Sorry; had to get that off my chest. Otherwise, good story.
Take my Like and Fav as well as a spot on my top 10 list! I don't care if you don't want it, you're getting it! Also, if I'm not already, have a follow. Though I'm sure I'm already following.
Well the title of this story has inspired me to post this song! May god have mercy on my soul...
Now 100 quintillion% (that's 20 zero's folks!) cooler!
Hoof. Face. Impact event. Doofus.
6882118 I don't have those. They're so suppressed that they don't exist, both mental and physical.
8881418
Errr, but you see, if your friend is doing something stupid, you don't go around and pointedly make an ass of them.
You look them in the eye and tell them they're being a douchebag.
9267063
Now now, I wouldn't say they're being a douchebag, but I would say they're letting the hero thing get to their head and they should tone their bragging down a notch. Or I would remind them if they want to be a hero, mabye they should act more like the heroes that they want to be. Or in RD's case the hero she wants to be, like oh I don't know, the WONDERBOLTS?
Dear Twilight Sparkle,
I'm the one who broke into your house. Lol. Don't worry about it or tell the cops or anything. Lol.
Sincerely,
Princess Luna
Hello Twilight! I'm the first one you saved side-by-side with the mare of your dreams, don't mind me breaking into your house!
Luna's Plan was pretty stupid and pointless aside from being a source of conflict for the plot. This story is getting a thumbs up from me anyway though.
Dear Twilight Sparkle,
I broke into your house and nearly caused you and Rainbow to be driven away. You don’t have to thank me!
From Woona
Twilight: . . . F**k you luna